Persistence of Memory
by Yochi-Noryokusha
Summary: During a storm,Katara is knocked unconious and helpless. Zuko decides to take her as bait, but when she wakes up, Katara cant remember anything and must rely on Zuko to fill in the blanks.
1. Chapter 1: Storm

AN: This is my first fanfic, so go easy on me ok? Hope you like it! Also, the story begins in a storm, but it has nothing to do with the episode "The Storm". Just a coincidence. :)

Legal Notice: I dont own Avatar. But do you know how cool it would be if I did? It would rock! But, sadly I dont. cries Life is cruel.

Chapter One: Storm

Katara couldn't see anything. The black waters churned violently, pulling her under.

"Aang! Sokka!" she cried out, but her words were lost to the violent winds and crashing thunder.

Aang, Katara and Sokka had been caught by a violent storm, with Prince Zuko close on their tail. They had come across each other by accident, so both Zuko and the Avatar had been unprepared for the encounter. Zuko was more then happy to engage him in battle, however. Zuko launched a fireball from his ship and it sent Katara and Sokka flying off Appa and into the churning waters below. Aang had recovered Sokka, but Katara eluded him.

"Not again, Not again!" Aang thought as his wandered to a storm one hundred years ago...

Katara concentrated as hard as she could on bending the water to prevent herself from drowning, but her concentration was broken by fear and panic. Her attempts produced nothing. They only exaughsted her more.

Finally Katara spotted Appa flying overhead. "Aang! Aang! Over here!" she cried desperately, thrashing her arms. _I cant die here, _she thought, _I wont die in my own element! _

Aang started steering Appa towards Katara, but was forced tog o back to avoid an attack from Zuko's ship. "Hang on Katara!" Sokka yelled.

Katara was tied. How much longer could she keep her strength up? She felt exaughsted. She was freezing, almost numb. _Should I just let the water take me? _She thought, _Aang and Sokka will get themselves killed trying to save me._ But, then she saw Appa drawing nearer and was determined to stay alive.

Maneuvering to avoid Zuko's attacks, Aang finally made his way to Katara. "Grab on to Appa!" he screamed.

Katara grabbed onto the giant bison's leg and felt herself being pulled out of the water. Another fire ball came dangerously close to Appa. Sokka screamed and scrambled backwards. "We're all gonna die!" he shouted.

Ignoring Sokka, Aang started to fly Appa to the shore. Katara was weak and felt her strength fading as she dangled over the sea. Just as they were approaching the shore, Appa lurched suddenly, to avoid an attack. (Once again) Katara felt herself plunge into the sea. "Not again…" Aang groaned. "Oh, come on! How many times is she gonna fall off today?" Sokka yelled, hitting his head with his hand.

Katara was not very happy about this either. The last place she wanted to be was in the swirling, violent ocean waters. Amid the chaos, Kotare was pulled under the water and drawn into the rocky coast. Tumbling under water, Kotare obtained several scratches, and tore her dress. Finally, she felt her head collide with a rock- HARD. Then, everything went black, as Katara washed up on shore.


	2. Chapter 2: Waiting

AN: Hola everybody! Welcome to chapter two! Please review my story! And thank you to Nera Black for being my first reviewer! I'll try to put more detail in and explain things better. I would give you a cookie if I could, but I can't. Oh well, too bad for you. Thanks!

And thank you to my other reviewers too! Keep up with the suggestions!

Sorry guys, this chapter isn't very good. They'll be better in the future though.

Legal Jargon: Same old stuff… I don't own Avatar…blah, blah, blah….

Chapter Two: Waiting

"No, Zuko, she still hasn't woken up." Iroh replied wearily. That was the twelfth time in the past hour Zuko had asked him. It was getting rather tiresome. Iroh turned to Katara's body, lying on a bed, unconscious in a guest room on Price Zuko's ship. "Why don't you make it easy for me and just _wake up?_" he asked Katara. Iroh sighed and returned to his tea.

Earlier:

Aang had landed Appa on the shore near Katara's body. Sokka and Aang jumped down and pulled Katara away from the water. But, they weren't the only ones who made it to the shore. Zuko's ship had just stopped and the door was opening.

"Damn it…" Sokka whispered. He stood up and took out his boomerang. "Okay, Aang, you stay here with Katara, I'll take care of the firebenders!"

Prince Zuko emerged, followed by many guards. "On second thought, why don't you handle this Aang?"

Aang sighed, grabbed his staff and stood. The fire benders were advancing on them. He thought briefly about flying away, but he glanced at Appa and saw he was badly burned. He wouldn't be flying again for some time. He used up all of his strength to get them to the shore.

Aang approached the fire benders. "Avatar…You slipped through my fingers last time. Those pirates were imbeciles. This time I won't let you escape." Zuko hissed. The guards surrounded Aang, and the onslaught began. Aang deflected every attack easily. Zuko's words were determined, but his attacks were sloppy. Aang had never seen Zuko like this. He seemed so…_desperate._

Sokka noticed this too. _Ha ha, finally, I can get an attack in…._ he thought to himself. He started to stand, and then glanced at Katara. "I'll only be a few minutes." Sokka, being the ego-maniac that he was, couldn't resist the opportunity to join in the fight.

Aang had taken out the guards easily. That left only him and Zuko. They circled each other, watching each other's movements, studying them. Sokka stopped in his tracks. "Whoa…That's what I call intense…"

Zuko began by shooting flames at Aang, but his shots were sloppy. Aang dodged them and sent a blast of air at Zuko, sending him flying backwards. Aang was happy it had been so easy, but something discomforted him about how it easy it was. This was NOT like Zuko at all. How he had been defeated so easily?

Zuko was wondering the same thing. Lately he had been so distracted, he wasn't sleeping well….

He knew when he had lost. But he wasn't about to leave this fight without anything. While Aang and Zuko were fighting, they had switched positions, so Zuko was now closest to Katara. _The girl…. She will lure the Avatar to me…_ he thought. Quickly, he jumped up and pulled out a knife. Sokka immediately knew what he was doing. He took out his short sword and stood protectively in front of Katara.

"Don't you go near her…" Sokka warned in his coldest voice. He was scared of Zuko, but his sister was much more important. Though Zuko was not exactly up-to-par today, he was still skilled enough to easily knock Sokka out of the way. By the time Sokka stood, Zuko was already holding Katara, with a knife at her throat.

Both Aang and Sokka stood in silence and horror. What could they do?

"Let her go!" Aang screamed, "I'm the one you want! Leave her out of this!"

Sokka was seething with rage. He pulled out his boomerang and pulled his arm back.

"I wouldn't suggest trying anything unless you want the girl to die." Zuko warned. He started backing up the ramp onto the ship, followed by the guards who had recovered. Zuko stared directly at Aang and narrowed his eyes. "If you want her, come and get her."

The door shut, and Katara was gone.

Later:

Zuko sat in his room, meditating. The candle flames pulsed brightly in front of him as he replayed the day's happenings through his head. He had the girl on his ship. For some reason, that made him nervous. _That girl…_ She was the source of all his problems. Why he couldn't sleep. Why he couldn't concentrate… Ever since their meeting with the pirates, her face filled his thoughts. It annoyed him to no end.

As much as he hated to admit it to himself, Zuko admired Katara. She was strong and brave. Even captured, she would not tell Zuko anything about the Avatar. Even when offered her precious necklace. Although it infuriated him, it also drew a begrudging respect for her. She understood honor.

Zuko mused with the idea of going to see if she awakened yet. In then end, he decided against it. Zuko remained sitting in front of his candles, his eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration. The girl would wake up eventually, and then he could interrogate her. But, until then, he would just have to wait…


	3. Chapter 3: Identity Crisis

A/N: Hey everybody! Sorry it took my so long to update…. Anyway, thanks for all your reviews! Keep them coming!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or the characters, but if I did, Zuko would be MINE….

Chapter Three: Identity Crisis

Zuko was meditating in room and waiting for Katara to wake up. There was a knock on his door and a soldier entered. "I'm assuming you are either here to tell me the girl has awoken or you've spotted the Avatar." Zuko said calmly.

"Yes Sir, the waterbender is stirring, though not fully awake." The guard replied cautiously. He had seen what happened to people who disturbed Zuko without good reason. It wasn't pretty.

Zuko nodded and stood. "Take me to her." The guard sighed in relief. He would live to see another day….

When they arrived in the room where Katara was being kept, Zuko turned to the guard and said, "Where is my uncle? He was supposed to be watching her!"

"I believe he said something about going to get more tea… He assigned me to watch her instead."

Zuko sighed. "Very well. You are dismissed." The guard bowed and left the room.

Zuko walked over to the bed where Katara was lying. She was muttering something softly, but her eyes were still closed. He stood over her, examining her. _What is her name..?_ Thought Zuko, _Katara? Yes. I'm sure its Katara…_ She looked so weak and helpless. Zuko surprised himself by thinking how much he hated seeing her like this. He had seen the girl fight, alive and crackling with energy. She had much fire in her soul. _Fire…._ Zuko knelt down beside her and examined her face. "Why can't you be a firebender?" he whispered, a small trace of pain in his voice.

Zuko sighed. This was useless… He stood and started to leave when he heard Katara ask, "Where am I…?"

Zuko turned around and saw the girl try to lift her arm. _Where am I?_ thought Katara. When she tried to move her hand, she was rewarded with a searing pain that shot up her side. She felt a throbbing pain in her head. She grimaced and then noticed Zuko. Katara flicked her gaze to him, studying him. He was tall and young, not much older then she was. He was bald except for a small diamond of hair and a ponytail. Hi skin was fair and his eyes were an amazing golden color. And, of course, Katara noticed the scar on his left eye. It was kind of hard _not_ to. _Red armor…Must be Fire Nation…_ thought Katara.

"Who are you?" Katara asked.

Zuko was slightly surprised by the question. He narrowed his eyes. "Don't play games with me…" he warned.

Katara furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Playing games? I've never seen you before in my life. Who are you?"

Zuko was getting agitated now. "I'm growing tired of this, girl. You test my," non-existent, "patience."

Katara just stared blankly at him. Zuko balled his hands into fists and fire started swirling around them. _What is she up to…? _He thought. Katara glanced down at his hands. "Hm. I was right; you are a firebender." She said calmly.

There was something about the way she said that… The total indifference in her voice that made Zuko begin to think that something might be amiss…. All the previous times they had encountered each other, Katara was either furious with him or deathly scared of him. She was never this calm.

He walked around the bed, eyeing her suspiciously. "Of course I'm a fire bender. I'm Prince Zuko, heir to the throne of the Fire Nation." He said carefully. He decided not to mention the part about being banished. Katara's eyebrows went up slightly. "Royalty, eh? Well, uh, nice to meet you Prince Zuko."

Zuko gave her an incredulous look. "_What?_ Sorry, ok? I'm not good with royalty…"

_What is going on?_ Zuko asked himself, _This is definitely the right girl. _He'd never forget those eyes… The hatred they directed toward him that night…

Katara was putting on an air of indifference, but she was actually nervous. She didn't know where she was, who she was with or how she got so injured. She couldn't remember anything. All she knew was her head hurt like hell and some guy named Zuko was rambling on about something she knew nothing about. She was getting impatient.

"Would you please tell me why I'm here, where exactly 'here' is and _what the heck is going on?_" she asked. Zuko remained silent for a moment then said slowly, "If you are putting on an act, you will regret this." Even as he said it though, Zuko knew that she had nothing to gain from pretending not to know him. The Avatar would come for her whether she remembered anything or not.

Katara groaned in frustration. "For the hundredth time, _I DON'T KNOW YOU._ I don't know what is going on, why I'm here or where I am!" She tried to sit up, but all she accomplished was putting herself in more pain. She gave up the idea, but decided to grit her teeth and bear it, as she moved a hand to rub her sore head. "And why does my head hurt so badly?" she muttered.

Zuko was grim-faced and silent as he watched her. He was beginning to understand…

Realizing she wasn't getting any answers, Katara looked around the room. "Well, I guess I'm on a ship..." she muttered.

"Where is the Avatar?" Zuko suddenly asked.

Confusion clouded over Katara's face. "The Avatar…? The Avatar disappeared a hundred years ago. How would I know?" Was this guy insane?

"Just tell me where he is."

Katara gave him an incredulous look. "Look, I have no idea why you think _I_ would know where he is, but I don't. Believe me, if I knew, I'd be more than happy to tell you." _This guy IS insane…_ thought Katara.

"What is your name?" Zuko asked.

"WHAT! You have me on this ship, yours I presume, seem to think I know where the _Avatar _is and you don't even know my name?" Katara demanded.

"Of course I know your name," snapped Zuko irritably, "I wanted to see if you know it."

"Of course I know my own name! What kind of fool doesn't know their own name? My name is…" Katara stopped. "My name's…" she repeated quietly. Katara's heart started pounding and her blood ran cold. _Oh my god… What IS my name? I don't know my own name…_ though Katara.

Zuko nodded grimly. His heart was pounding too. The girl really didn't remember anything. That meant she couldn't tell him anything about the Avatar... Zuko thought bitterly. But, it didn't matter. The Avatar would come for her.

"Just as I thought. That blow to the head must have affected your memory."

"My memory…" Katara whispered. There was no other explanation. "I don't remember anything…" A tear rolled down her face. "So…what _is_ my name?"

Zuko was sure it was Katara. "Katara." He replied.

"Katara…" she repeated, as if trying it out. She thought for a minute. There were so many questions… Could she trust Prince Zuko? But, then again, did she have a choice? She thought of what question she wanted to ask next.

Although Zuko's face didn't betray it, he was very nervous. He was afraid of what she would ask him.

"So, what nation am I from?" she finally decided on.

An easy question to answer. Zuko knew the answer. It was on the tip of his tongue, yet he found himself hesitating to answer. This girl didn't know anything about who she was. He should obviously tell her the truth. Why wouldn't he? _Tell her the truth…_ Zuko took a deep breath. Why was he behaving this way? _Tell her… _

"The Fire Nation." He replied.

A/N: Hello again! Hope you liked chapter three! I'll try to get chapter four up soon. Anyway, this is a Zuko-Katara centered story. Aang and Sokka are going to come in later chapters when they all meet up again, but I was wondering if you guys wanted to know what was going on with Aang and Sokka throughout the story? I wasn't planning on doing that, but if you guys want me to, I will. Please review and tell me! Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4: Trust

A/N: Hola! Welcome to Chapter Four! Hope you like it. Please review! Thanks!

Chapter Four: Trust

"Hm. The Fire Nation. Okay. Katara of the Fire Nation…" said Katara, absorbing the information Zuko had just given her.

Zuko's heart was pounding. He couldn't believe he had just said that. He was just now starting to think of all the complications that would ensue from telling a waterbender she was from the Fire Nation. _Oh well… No turning back now… _he thought. He did fell a little guilty, however. But only a little. This girl was strong spirited and could be trained to fight well. She had much potential. Plus, she was a weakness for the Avatar. It would be an advantage to have her on his side. She could be used to lure him into a trap...

"Yes." Replied Zuko simply. What else was there to say?

Katara studied Zuko, scrutinizing him. It made Zuko feel uncomfortable. "So, you're my Prince, huh? My future leader?" she asked.

"Uh... yeah… I mean, yes. I am the heir to the throne." He said quickly. Once again, he omitted the fact that he was banished.

Katara sighed and put her head in her hands. "God, I can't remember _anything_. All I have is scraps of scattered information. What happened to me Prince Zuko?" She looked so helpless. Could he continue to lie to her?

"Why don't you tell me everything you know and I'll fill in the blanks." Zuko replied. Yes, he could continue to lie.

Katara looked at Zuko and smiled "Okay." She took a deep breath and gathered all her thoughts together. "Well, I now know my name is Katara and I'm form the Fire Nation. I know there are four nations and I know about the Avatar. He's been gone for a hundred years and you seem to think I can tell you where he is." Katara paused for a minute, thinking hard. "And I feel like the world needs him for something. You know, besides the obvious. I feel like it's important to find him…."

Zuko felt uneasy now. How was he going to explain to her that despite everything she thought, they were hunting the Avatar and needed to capture him. He would have to approach the subject carefully…

"Wow…" Zuko said. He was going to have to come up with some good lies, fast. _How could this girl forget so much..? She must not even remember the war, which has been going on her whole life, because she isn't afraid of me. That must have been an awfully nasty blow to the head…_

"Okay. Where to start? The ship you are on is mine. You're here because …you're part of my crew. Well, not exactly, I mean, you're not a soldier, so I guess more important than a normal crew ember, but still on my…ship..." Zuko knew how incredibly stupid that sounded, but he was groping for words.

"Ok…" Katara replied cautiously. Something was warning her not to be overly trusting. He _had_ seemed pretty vicious only a few minutes ago. Why was he being so nice now? There was a constant nagging in the back of Katara's mind, but she had nothing to base it on. What would he gain from lying to her? Besides, Katara wanted something, _needed_ something to believe. She wanted an identity. She was obviously here for a reason, so maybe he was telling the truth. "But why are we on the ship anyway?"

Zuko took a deep breath. He needed to think of a good way to explain this to her. He needed this girl's trust to capture the Avatar! "Because we're hunt-, uh, _searching _for the Avatar."

"Searching for him? You mean he's alive?" Katara asked excitedly. Uh-oh, thought Zuko. This was not going in the right direction.

"Yes. He is a twelve year old airbender."

"Twelve! How is that possible?" Katara asked incredulously.

"I don't know," Zuko admitted, shrugging, "But it's the truth."

"So, why are we looking for him? Because the world needs him, right…?"

Zuko looked uneasy. "Not exactly. You see, I need to capture the Avatar to restore my honor." Oh no, thought Zuko. The last time he tried to explain this to her, she hadn't understood. But, maybe this time would be different…

"Capture him? Why would you want to do that? And what does your honor have to do with anything? Katara didn't like the sound of this. The Avatar was an absolute good. Anyone who wanted to capture him… well, she didn't like the idea.

Zuko was getting sick of questions now. Mostly because he didn't have answers. And he didn't want to talk about why his honor hinged on the Avatar's capture. _Remember, this will all pay off when I have the Avatar…_ thought Zuko. He wouldn't admit it to himself, but he actually didn't mind being in this girl's company.

"The Avatar poses a great threat to the Fire Nation. My honor hinges on his capture." Zuko replied in a dead serious tone. The tone told Katara not to press the subject any farther tonight.

"So, why am I injured? How did I hurt my head?"

Zuko's mind was reeling. What should he say? "…You were in the water. You fell overboard and you must have hit your head when you washed up on shore." It was kind of true….

"Oh, ok…" Katara said, with a hint of sadness in her voice. Then she yawned. She was very tired.

"You should probably get some rest." Zuko said.

"Yeah, and do you think one of the women onboard could lend me something to wear? My clothes are still wet…and dirty." Katara also noticed they were blue…

"Women? There are no there women onboard." Zuko replied.

"You mean I'm the _only_ one?" Katara asked, gaping.

"Yes, I suppose so." Zuko replied. "I can get you some clothes, though. But they might be a little big…"

"It doesn't matter. Just as long as it's something to wear…"Katara sighed.

Zuko nodded and started to leave the room. Just as he was shutting the door, Katara suddenly said, "Wait, Zuko!" Zuko opened the door and peered in the room. "There was one other thing I wanted to ask you…."

"What is it?"

"Um, I a fire bender?" Katara asked shyly.

Zuko was taken aback by the question. "…No. You're not."

"Oh… Ok…" Zuko couldn't help but notice the disappointment in her voice.

"You sound disappointed."

Katara blushed a little. "Well, yeah… I mean, it just seems kind of useless to live in a world where people can bend elements and not be able to… But, then again, I've lived my whole life without bending, I just don't remember it. It is kind of disappointing though…"

Zuko did feel bad now. He was a bender and couldn't imagine not being able to bend. Katara could bend, just didn't know it. And Zuko couldn't let her know it. It didn't fit with his plan. But still, she her disappointed at not being able to bend, when she really could nagged at Zuko's conscience, which annoyed him. _But, I didn't lie to her,_ Zuko told himself._ She asked if she was a fire bender and she isn't. She didn't ask if she was a water bender._

Zuko nodded and said, "Rest up for tomorrow." And left. Katara didn't know what was going on tomorrow, or why she needed to rest up for it, but she didn't care. She was too tired to care. Pulling up the blankets, Katara closed her eyes. She thought briefly about Zuko. She wondered if she should really trust him… She knew trust was something to be earned, not given away freely. But, Katara thought, he had seemed to earn it. He had been pretty patient with her, after he realized what was going on. He was filling in her memory. That made him trustworthy, right? _Right._ Thought Katara, before drifting off to sleep.

And Zuko was very lucky. He wanted Katara's trust. He needed Katara's trust. Now, he _had_ Katara's trust.


	5. Chapter 5: Dreams

A/N: Hello again! Thanks so much for reading my story! Please review it! Do you guys think the story is moving too slow?

Disclaimer: If I owned Avatar, I would not be sitting here writing fanfiction. I would be writing for the TV show and making Zuko and Katara fall madly in love. But I'm not. Life is cruel.

Chapter Five: Dreams

That night, Zuko called a meeting with his Uncle, the captain and the lieutenant. Zuko stood, pacing the room while the three men watched him. "As you all know, we have the Water bender girl on the ship. She was unconscious for two days, and when she woke up, she believed she was from the Fire Nation."

"What!" Iroh and the lieutenant screamed in unison.

"Yes." Zuko replied simply.

Iroh eyed his suspiciously. "So, she just woke up believing she was from the Fire Nation?"

"Yes, that's what happened. It's a mystery to me too." Zuko replied uncomfortably.

Iroh stood and walked around Zuko. "Don't you think it's a bit odd that she would think that? She had no… outside influence?" The lieutenant and captain had been thinking the same thing, but would never say it. Iroh was the only one who could get away with challenging anything Zuko said.

"Um, what do you mean?" Zuko asked.

"Lieutenant, Captain, why don't you leave Zuko and me alone for a moment?"

"Yes Sir." They replied and walked out of the room. They were slightly disappointed that they wouldn't get to hear this conversation. It was going to be interesting, they could tell.

"Zuko, don't lie to me," Iroh said, "Did you tell she was from the Fire Nation? What did she lose her memory or something?"

Zuko looked away, not planning on replying, but then decided it was best to be honest with his Uncle. "Yes."

"Zuko! Of all the shameful-! What would possess you to do that? The poor girl wakes up not remembering anything and you lie to her?" Iroh asked incredulously.

"Uncle, having this girl on our side is an enormous advantage!"

Iroh rubbed his head with his hand. "Prince Zuko, did you consider the consequences of your actions? Ok, so she believes this nonsense for now, but how are you going to explain why she looks like she's from the Water Tribe, wears clothes from the Water Tribe, and, oh, I don't know... the fact that she's a waterbender!"

Zuko sighed. "That can all be explained, Uncle. I'll come up some explanations. You're missing the bigger picture. This girl is the tool we need to capture the Avatar. And I've seen her fight. She has a strong spirit. She can be trained."

"Uh, Zuko she always uses waterbending to fight. Water bending and Fire Nation don't mix."

"She wont waterbend if she doesn't know she can. Besides, though she lacks basic warrior training, she has much potential. And this girl is special to the Avatar. He cares for her much. Seeing her betray him… It could cause the kind of mental anguish I can use to defeat him!"

Iroh still looked skeptical, but then smiled at his nephew. "Are you sure there's no other reason…?"

"W-What do you mean?" Zuko asked nervously.

"Nothing. She's just very pretty that' all… I though maybe…"

"Uncle, NO!"

Iroh just laughed in reply.

OOO

Meanwhile…

Katara lay in her bed, tossing and turning. Suddenly, with a gasp, she shot up in a cold sweat. Panting, Katara brought a hand to her forehead. "What was that all about?" she whispered. Trying to relax, Katara breathed in slowly and deeply. She was trying to gather all her thoughts together.

She had been having a bad dream. Vaguely, she remembered the churning, black waters of the ocean. She remembered having the breath swept out of her… "Was that what happened when I lost my memory?" she wondered. Zuko _had_ said she had fallen overboard. But, that wasn't the whole dream…

Katara also remembered seeing somebody's face…A boy… She was straining to remember what he looked like. She could hear his voice perfectly, shouting her name. It was so familiar, but his face was a vague blur to her.

"Who was that?" Katara whispered. Was it just a random dream? Or was that somebody she once knew…? That voice was so familiar, yet she couldn't place it. All Katara could remember was a storm and that boy's voice… It unsettled Katara.

"It was probably just a soldier calling when I fell overboard…" Katara told herself. But, she didn't really believe it…

OOO

Zuko lay in his bed staring up at the ceiling. He was thinking about all the things that had happened that day; all the things his uncle had said. They were absolutely true. Zuko knew he would have to come up with some good explanations. But, he was also thinking about Katara. He remembered asking her in her sleep why she couldn't be a fire bender. To Zuko it seemed as if it had happened ages ago, when it had actually only happened earlier that day. He realized that his wish had practically been granted. Though she could never be a fire bender, she believed she was form the Fire Nation and that was all that mattered. Just as long as she was from the Fire Nation…

Before all this had happened, Zuko had considered the thought that he might have feelings for Katara. He wasn't sure if it was love or not. He didn't want it to be. He didn't want to have any feelings for her at all besides hatred. But, he couldn't get her face out of his mind… It haunted him…

When he first started having these thoughts, he quickly dismissed the idea. She was his enemy. Besides, she hated him and would most certainly reject him. She could never have any feelings for him. Not any good ones, anyway.

But all that had changed now, Zuko realized. They didn't have to be enemies anymore. Maybe this girl could be his friend. (Zuko wasn't quit ready to admit he wanted to have a romantic relationship with her yet). He could finally find someone to care about. And someone who saw him as more than a monster or a banished prince. Zuko smiled to himself. It was a new beginning….


	6. Chapter 6: Stranger In Her Own Home

A/N: Hi again everybody! Thanks so much for reading my story! Reviews are greatly appreciated! (hint, hint)

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or the characters which makes me sad. I hate disclaimers!

000

Chapter Six: Stranger In Her Own Home

The next morning Katara felt much better, physically. Emotionally she was drained and confused. Katara lay on her bed, looking up at the ceiling while the morning sun poured in through the sheer red curtains. _This must have been my room…_ she thought, glancing at her surroundings. The room was nice. The curtains were red, laced with gold. There was a beautiful rug on the floor with an intricate pattern of golden and red fire. There were a few things hanging on the wall; a coat of arms, a black tapestry with the red Fire Nation insignia on it, a painting of a dragon. In one corner of the dimly lit room was a wooden dresser. Next to the dresser was a mirror. Against the wall, there was a desk a desk and chair. Lying across the chair was a deep red sleeveless shirt, trimmed with gold and a pair of matching pants.

_The room is nice…_ thought Katara, _But very plain… There's nothing to indicate someone actually lives here. _Why didn't she have her own clothes? Did she really only own ONE dress? There was nothing. "I feel like a stranger in my own home..." she sighed. And that boy from her dream… She didn't even want to think about that.

Sighing, Katara got out of bed. She felt better, but her muscles were still sore. Slowly, she pulled up the deep red silky blanket and sheets and tucked in the corners. Once the bed was made, she walked over to chair and eyed the outfit, scrutinizing it. She shrugged. What choice did she have?

While slowly undressing herself, Katara's thoughts wandered to Zuko. _He certainly is an odd one…_ thought Katara. _And that scar… I wonder how he got it._ Katara threw the dirty, torn dress on her bed and started putting on the clothes Zuko had provided for her. The pants were long and dragged on the floor. The shirt was tight across the chest and gapped around her arms. She really wished the shirt wasn't sleeveless…

Katara turned her attention to the mirror by the dresser. She almost laughed when she saw herself. She was in a sorry state. She looked ridiculous in those clothes. Did Zuko really expect her to walk around like that? She did like the way the deep red looked against her skin though…

Her hair was an absolute disaster. It was damp and sticking up in places. The long, frizzy knotted rope that was once a neat braid hung in tatters about her shoulders. Her face was covered in small cuts and scrapes, but they looked as if they'd been tended to. She had dark circles under her eyes.

Disgusted, Katara turned away and scavenged the room for a brush. To her dismay, she did not find one. "Are you telling me I don't even own a stupid brush!" she cried out in frustration to no one in particular. She was on this fancy ship with a prince and he was so stingy he couldn't even provide a brush? Then it occurred to Katara she should have brought one when she started this journey. "And why am I the only darn woman on board?" she added angrily. That was really bothering her… Katara couldn't remember anything about her life, but she was beginning to think she didn't enjoy it very much.

Then, a sharp knock on her door brought her back from her thoughts. "Uh, come in…" she called weakly. She really didn't want anyone to see her like this…

The door opened slowly and Prince Zuko appeared in the doorway. He stopped when he saw her and couldn't resist smiling.

Katara glared at him. "Yeah, laugh it up Zuko! You think you could get me some clothes that actually _fit_?" she said acidly, crossing her arms.

Zuko just shrugged. "Those are the smallest clothes on the ship."

"How do you know?"

"Because they're mine and I'm the youngest man on board. Besides, those are a little too small for me."

Katara stared at him, wide-eyed. "They're yours?"

"W-Well, yes," Zuko stammered. What was she giving him that look for? "I figured they'd fit the best."

"Why don't I have any of my own? I don't seem to own anything. Not even a brush!"

_Crap…_ thought Zuko. How was he going to explain that one? "Well… You joined the crew only about a month ago, so you haven't been here that long."

Katara gave him a skeptical look. "And I didn't bring anything? This _is_ my room, right?"

"Yes, this is your room." Well, it was now anyway… "And, you weren't allowed to bring anything. No one is. When you join, you're given everything you'll need. Clothes, and all that."

Katara gave him an angry look. "Then why wasn't I given anything!"

"Well, you're a woman, so we couldn't exactly give you the standard uniforms or anything."

Katara sighed. She was getting the impression the Fire Nation hated women. "Ok, whatever. But I _am_ going to get clothes and things I need, right?"

"Uh, of course," Said Zuko quickly. He made a mental note to get one of he guards to take her shopping. "If you want, I can get you a brush now."

Katara looked up. "Really? I'd really appreciate that."

"Sure." Replied Zuko and left Katara's room.

000

Katara set her brush down and looked at herself in the mirror. The brush had actually been one of Zuko's, but Katara didn't need to know that. Zuko, however, was slightly disappointed to give it up. She eyed herself carefully. At least she looked reasonably presentable now. She hadn't had enough patience or energy to fix her hair into a bun and braid, so her long, wavy, brunet hair hung loosely around her shoulders. She had cleaned her face up a bit too, though she still looked funny in Zuko's clothes. Now she was hungry.

Zuko hadn't offered her anything and she was getting impatient. Katara decided she looked presentable enough to venture out of her room. Her door opened to a long, dimly lit metal hallway. "Lovely." Muttered Katara. She really didn't know where she was going, but she figured it she wandered aimlessly enough, she'd find someone to direct her to the mess hall.

The corridor had many hallways she could have turned into, but she decided it was best just to keep going straight, lest she get lost. Katara felt a little awkward about leaving her room. She felt lie she was going to be yelled at or something. _Why though?_ She asked herself, _This is my home. Why wouldn't I be allowed to leave my room?_ But, she still felt slightly uneasy.

The gloomy hallway eventually led to an open deck. Katara squinted in the bright sunlight. She looked around the deck and saw an old, heavy man sitting at a table playing some sort of game. Cautiously, Katara approached the old man. "Um, excuse me." She said politely.

The old man looked up from his game. He seemed slightly surprised to see Katara. He looked at her for a moment then said amiably, "Well, hello dear! How are you feeling?"

Katara shrugged. "I've definitely been better. Or, at least, I think I have."

The man chuckled and smiled. "You have been, trust me."

Katara smiled too. "I'm sorry. I feel like such a fool, but what is your name? I don't remember anyone. She said shyly.

"Oh, don't feel bad! It's perfectly understandable." Especially considering she had never met him before. "My name is Iroh. I am Zuko's uncle."

Katara had to stop herself from laughing. "_You_ are Zuko's uncle?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes. Why? Does that surprise you?"

Katara blushed a bit. "Well, it's just that you seem very kind and calm... And Zuko seems very… hot-headed and short-tempered."

Iroh chuckled. "Well, that's my nephew. Don't let him fool you though; he really is a good person."

Katara nodded thoughtfully, pushing a lock of heir behind her ear. "Um, could you tell me where the mess hall is? I'm starving and I pretty much have no idea where I'm going."

Iroh though for a moment. "If you go back down the corridor you just came from, make the first left you see. That will lead you to the navigating room, where I believe Zuko is. He will get you something to eat. And if he gives you any trouble, tell him I told him to."

Katara smiled. "Thank you, very much, Sir." She said, bowing.

"Please, call me Iroh. And, can I interest you in some tea before you leave?"

Katara nodded. 'Please." She said, taking the cup he held out to her. Katara took a sip. "Mmm… Ginseng is my favorite."

Iroh beamed. When Katara had finished her tea she set the cup down and went off. She smiled and waved. "Thank you!" she called.

"Nice girl." Said Iroh thoughtfully. He shook his head. He still couldn't get over seeing that girl in Fire Nation clothes…


	7. Chapter 7: Shopping Spree

A/N: Okay… I'm so sorry it took me so long to update! And, I'm going on vacation from July 30th to August 6th, so there won't be any updates for a while... That's why I made this one extra long! Apologies, once again.

Disclaimer; I don't Avatar, the characters, or the show, but I _do _own a really cool pair of glow-in-the-dark monkey socks!

**Chapter Seven: Shopping Spree**

Katara made her way through the gloomy hallway. Just as Iroh had said, it led straight to a room where Katara could see men bent over a map. Quietly, she entered the room. Zuko wasn't there.

"Um, excuse me…" said Katara. All at once, the men looked up with an even more startled expression than Iroh had said. They just stared at her. Katara once again got that uneasy feeling that she had been caught doing something she shouldn't be doing. _Why are they all staring at me like that?_ She thought nervously.

"Um, hi…" she said, "Have any of you seen Zuko around? Iroh told me he would be in here, but I guess not. So, I'll just…uh, leave…" She started backing towards the door.

"Wait," one said suddenly, "Prince Zuko was just in here. I believe he left to check on you."

"Well he's a little late." Katara said irritably, "I could have used some food! I haven't had anything to eat in who knows how long…"

The men exchanged glances. "Are you hungry? I can get you something." said the same man. Katara's face brightened.

"Please! I'm starving."

The man nudged one of the others and he got up and walked off towards the kitchen. Katara stood there in awkward silence. She was beginning to think starving would have been better than this.

"Please, sit down." The man gestured towards the guard's empty seat. Katara obediently sat down in the chair.

"Um, I'm sorry sir, but who are you? I don't remember anyone." She asked sheepishly.

He was momentarily taken off guard. He kept on forgetting what Zuko had told him. It was just so hard to believe… "My name is Lieutenant Ji."

Katara waited for him to introduce her to the other soldiers, but when he didn't, she figured the soldiers weren't called by name. The lieutenant opened his mouth to say something, but Katara never found out what he was going to say because at that moment Zuko burst into the room and shouted, "That insolent troublemaker! Where has she gone!" He looked livid. Mostly because he was afraid one of the guards would say something that contradicted what Katara now knew of her identity.

Katara raised her hand. "The insolent troublemaker is here."

Zuko turned and looked at Katara and his face started to burn. "Oh. Well, why did you leave your room!" he attempted to mask his embarrassment with anger.

"Because you left me to starve! And who cares if I leave my room? This is my ship too, isn't it?"

Lieutenant Ji smirked and said, in a wave of boldness, "Yes, Prince Zuko, this _is_ her home." He barely hid the mockery in his voice.

"I just don't want you getting into trouble…" he mumbled. Then, the guard who had been sent to get Katara's food returned with zaru soba (AN: For those of you unfamiliar with Japanese food, that's cold soba noodles with a soya- based dipping sauce, a very simple meal). He set the bowl down in front of Katara and didn't seem to mind having his seat taken. He would have been annoyed if somebody else had taken it, but he was happy to give up his seat for a lady.

It was a very basic meal, but she didn't mind. She didn't know it, but she was used to eating simple dishes with Aang and Sokka and even at home. Katara eagerly picked up her chopsticks and started eating hungrily, but still politely and with decorum. She noticed the guards watching her. They seemed fascinated by the way she ate. "Can I help you?" she asked them.

Zuko gave a "hmph" and said, "They think it's fascinating to watch someone eat with manners."

Under the security of their masks, the guards shot Zuko dirty looks. He was right though.

After Katara finished eating, she thanked the men and got up to speak to Zuko. "So, what did you need?"

Zuko eyed Katara's clothes, particularly the shirt which fit too snugly across her chest, and said, "We're going to be docking soon. To get supplies. You can go with a guard to buy clothes…and whatever else you need."

Katara sighed with relief. "Great! I can finally change out of these things…"

000

Zuko walked down the ramp of his ship, followed by Katara, and about fifteen soldiers. Iroh sat at a small table, drinking tea on deck. "Where are you going, nephew?"

"To get supplies. The girl is going to buy some clothes." Zuko replied without turning around.

"I _have_ a name you know," Katara said irritably, "You should use it."

Zuko turned around and gave her an annoyed look. "Fine, _Katara_ is going to get some clothes."

Iroh raised his eyebrows. "You're taking her shopping?"

"No!" Zuko replied impatiently, "One of the guards will take her to buy her things."

Iroh stood up and stretched his arms over his head. "You know, Prince Zuko, I'm sure you need all the men you can get to carry the supplies, and I really have been wanting to get off this ship, so-"

"No." Zuko cut him off. "You're not going out there and buying everything in sight like you did at the Port of Skall."

Iroh put on an innocent face. "Really, Prince Zuko, I just want to help dear Katara shop."

"Why don't you let him come, Zuko?" Katara asked. Zuko glared at her.

"Fine, you can come," he said to his uncle, "But, I'm coming with you to watch you. Lieutenant Ji will accompany the guards to buy the supplies."

"Excellent! Just allow me to grab a few things…." He ran off to his room.

Zuko smirked at Katara. "You're going to be sorry he came."

Katara shook her head at Zuko. "He's just an old man."

Zuko smiled. "But you have never seen that old man shop before."

000

Katara _was_ sorry Iroh had come along. But, then again, she did find it all sort of comical.

Zuko, Katara and Iroh made their way through the bustling market place. There were people from all different nations running everywhere, hurrying to get to some unknown destination. It was loud; everyone's voice blended together with the calls from vendors, and the strange sounds of exotic animals. It all awed Katara, but what awed her most was Iroh's reaction. He was running from stand to stand, gaping and "ooo"ing and "aww"ing at everything. He was like a small child in a candy store.

"Prince Zuko, Prince Zuko!" Iroh called as he bounced happily in front of a stall.

Zuko slapped his forehead and said wearily, "Uncle, have you forgotten why we are here? We are only getting the gir-"Katara gave him a look. "We're only getting _Katara_ clothes." Iroh was ignoring him.

Katara giggled and said, "Its okay. There's a shop right over there," she pointed to a shop a few stalls down, "I'll be in there. I'll come get you when I'm ready to pay."

Zuko gave an exaggerated groan. "You're leaving me alone with him?"

Katara smiled. "I won't be long."

Katara walked away from the two men. She passed a couple of stands, and then stopped at a stall that had an amazing display of katanas. She admired the gleaming swords. One in particular drew her attention. Its hilt was deep blue and had a symbol engraved on it; a blue circle filled with sweeping lines like waves and curls. She reached her hand out to touch it….

"Hey, are you gonna buy that?" demanded the owner. He was a gritty, scary looking man. Katara quickly pulled her hand away and shook her head. "Why don't you move along, then?" he growled. She was more than happy to oblige.

Katara entered the clothing shop, wondering what had made her try to touch that katana. It was a stupid thing to do, she scolded herself. Her attention was drawn to the array of beautiful kimonos. They had every color imaginable: deep and bright blues, dark reds, every shade of green…

Katara eyed them and wondered which one she should choose. She picked up a beautiful kimono that was a deep shade of red at the bottom, and gradually changed to a light golden color towards the top. It had sakuras embroidered on the front and sleeves. The obi was a golden cream color and had an intricate dragon embroidered on it. It was so beautiful, but bound to be expensive…. Well, why couldn't she have _one_ nice outfit?

Katara made her way around the store, picking up several items; an outfit almost identical to her old one, except it was deep red, a pair of black pants and a sleeveless dark green top that actually fit for training, and she couldn't resist getting a deep blue night shirt and pants with the crescent moon and waves on them, among other things. She also picked up a few necessities such a comb and a pair of shoes. She gave her clothes to the lady running the store and asked her to hold her purchases for her while she went to fetch Zuko.

Zuko, relieved that they were leaving, happily paid for Katara's clothes. Iroh joined them a few minutes later, his arm overflowing with _his_ purchases that Zuko did not pay for quite as happily.

000

Back on the ship the guards and Lieutenant Ji had finished their shopping long before Zuko, Iroh and Katara.

Iroh was anxious to see what Katara had gotten. Zuko was also very curious to see, but he wasn't quite as obvious about it. Katara happily obliged, after all they _had_ paid for it all… She showed the tow men hr clothes and Iroh nodded approvingly.

"They are very nice," he said, "You will look even more beautiful in them." Katara turned her head away and blushed slightly.

Zuko thought the clothes were very nice too, but he couldn't help wondering why she had bought the blue outfit… he quickly shook the thought off though, telling himself that she had also bought a green shirt. It didn't mean anything.

When Iroh saw the gorgeous kimono, he insisted she try it on.

"No, that's okay…" Katara said. She felt awkward.

"No, you must show us how beautiful you look in it!' Iroh insisted, pushing her into her room and shutting the door.

Inside, Katara sighed in defeat and put the kimono on. "It really stinks being the only woman on board…" she thought. "They don't treat me like another crew member… Making me play dress up..." she grumbled. But, she was really happy to put the kimono on. He had been dying to see how it looked. Once she was done, she opened the door a fracture and peeked out. Iroh opened the door all the way, however, and pulled her out.

Katara stumbled, and then regained her balance. She felt very uncomfortable just standing there so the two fire benders could see her. Iroh clapped his hands in delight. "Stunning! Simply stunning!" he exclaimed. "You look absolutely beautiful!"

Katara smiled and blushed. "Thank you…" she murmured.

Zuko remained silent. He couldn't find the words to tell her how beautiful he thought she was. It also unnerved him how good she looked in red. Her tan complexion went so well with the fiery colors. She looked elegant and refined, yet full of energy. Her beauty silenced him.

"Don't you think she's gorgeous, Prince Zuko?"

"Huh?" he replied. Of course he did, but he couldn't form the words to tell her that. He didn't say anything.

Iroh just shook his head. "Don't pay any attention to him, Katara. You are a vision of beauty."

Katara just smiled and shrugged. "Well, I'd better change out of this." She said.

"Of course, dear," Iroh said, "We'll see you for dinner in about fifteen minutes?"

Katara smiled and nodded and Iroh walked off. She was just about to go back into her room, when Zuko shocked her by grabbing her wrist. Her heart started pounding.

He looked straight into her eyes and in his most earnest voice said, "You really_ are_ breathtaking." he said, dropped her wrist and walked away, leaving Katara with her heart slamming against her chest, and her mind reeling.


	8. Chapter 8: Shadow From The Past

A/N: Hey everyone! Okay, I just got back from my vacation and once again, sorry for the delay. Anywayz… Here's chapter eight!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. Disclaimers tend to depress me. My doctor said I should I shouldn't write them anymore because they're bad for my health.

**Chapter Eight: Shadow from the Past**

Katara threw her fist as hard as she could at Prince Zuko. Zuko blocked it with his forearm and sent a punch at Katara. She lunged to the side to avoid it and saw an opening. She aimed a kick at Zuko's side. Quickly recovering, Zuko managed to evade the kick, but just barely.

Katara stood crouched over, with her hands on her knees panting. Beads of sweat rolled down her face and her dark green sleeveless top clung to her skin. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but strands of hair were falling out. Zuko, who stood against the railing of the top deck of the ship, was breathing pretty heavily himself. He nodded approvingly at Katara. "Not bad."

Two and a half weeks had passed since Katara found herself, unable to remember anything on Zuko's ship. After Zuko's comment about Katara in her kimono, Katara felt awkward around Zuko for the next few days. Zuko, however, acted as if nothing had happened. Katara still thought sometimes about what, if anything, that little incident meant. After a while though, she started to feel silly. Zuko never seemed embarrassed around her. She figured she was reading too far into it and he was just being polite. All the awkwardness was soon gone.

She was wrong though. Although he didn't act embarrassed, Zuko felt uncomfortable around her after he said that. He didn't know what possessed him to do it. It was the truth, of course, but telling Katara that different.

As he said, Zuko had begun training Katara to fight. And, his first impression had been dead on- Katara most certainly had a natural aptitude for combat. All she needed was proper instruction. She had only been training for a couple of weeks and although she couldn't beat Zuko, she could fight well enough to give him a good workout. She was a fast learner and was improving every day.

Katara looked up and grinned. "Thanks." That was big praise coming from Zuko. Katara relished any compliment she got while training from Zuko, no matter how small. His compliments were so few and so infrequent that it was a big deal to her whenever she got one. It wasn't that Zuko wasn't impressed with her, but when he had been trained, he almost never got complimented. Only reprimanded. He was teaching Katara in the same way he was taught.

Zuko and Katara picked up the towels they had hung on the railing and wiped their faces. Katara threw the towel over her shoulder and leaned against the railing. "So, how was I today?" she asked. A strong breeze blew through the open deck. Katara was thankful for it. She undid her pony tail and let her long hair blow in the breeze. "Ahhh..." she said and closed her eyes.

Zuko was all business. "You're improving. You still have a lot of work to do as far as your stances though. Don't sacrifice the correct stance for force. The power will come as you master the move. You're doing well as far as defense, but your offense leaves something to be desired. Like I said, work on your stances."

Katara nodded. She knew it would benefit her to listen to Zuko's advice. She turned around to face the ocean. "So that's all for today, I take it? It's getting dark." Zuko hadn't even really noticed it, but she was right. The sun had already set.

"Yes. That's enough for today. Be ready tomorrow, though. We're going to run through the sequences we did today and you'll learn some more. I may even start you off with a sword, but we'll see if you're ready." He started to make his way inside. Katara followed him. "We'll go eat something now, then get some rest. Remember, I expect you to be out here at dawn tomorrow morning."

Katara sighed wearily. "Of course."

000

After dinner and a quick shower, Katara wearily made her way back to his room. She was exhausted. Zuko was really pushing her hard. They trained nonstop for the entire day sometimes. Now that Zuko was semi-patiently waiting for the Avatar to come to _him_, he had more free time on his hands. And he didn't realize how lucky he was to have Katara to occupy his time. If he had this much free time before, he would have lost his mind stewing over catching the Avatar, as if he was already obsessed.

Katara tiredly changed into her deep blue night shirt and pants with the crescent moon and waves on them. She gave her hair a quick comb and climbed into her bed. Her exhausted and aching muscles relaxed and Katara sighed in relief. Nestled underneath her silky red blanket, Katara blew out the candle on the table next to her bed. She closed her eyes and thought about everything that had happened that day. She smiled to herself a little when she found herself thinking of today as a "normal" day. Breakfast with Zuko and Iroh, wearily listening to Zuko rant about the Avatar, then training and dinner. She was getting used to life aboard Zuko's ship, falling into sync with the people. It made her happy to think that she was finally getting back to her old life.

Things were good. She and Zuko were getting along well enough. They had plenty of petty arguments, but nothing serious. Zuko was getting used to having Katara around and found he liked having her there. She was someone his own age (or close to it) to talk to. And he was happily surprised to find that she was very mature. He liked that about her. He could have a serious conversation with her.

Katara was tired. She felt her thoughts slipping away and welcomed what she thought would be a peaceful night's sleep. She was wrong, however.

000

Katara felt the wind whip through her hair. There was a heavy fog all around her. There was somebody next to her. _A boy?_ She thought. He squinted to try and make out his features, but they were hidden by the fog. She thought he was trying to speak to her, but she couldn't hear him. Her own thoughts and breathing and heartbeat were all she could hear. Then, the dream suddenly wrenched and changed. Everything was dark and Katara felt the breath being stolen from her lungs. Someone called her name… _The boy…_ She turned around frantically, trying to find him. She couldn't see him. His voice seemed so far away. She couldn't take it anymore. She was suffocating, she needed to breathe…

With a gasp Katara bolted upright. She was panting heavily and her heart was racing. She sat there a minute, letting her eyes adjust to the dark. She groaned in frustration. That dream plagued her every night. She always saw that same boy, but his features were always clouded and she couldn't remember what he looked like. His voice though… She remembered his voice distinctly.

"_Hang on Katara…"_

It haunted her.

Katara got out of her bed and fumbled around for a match. When she found one, she struck it and it burst into flames, giving the room an eerie glow. Hands shaking, she lit the candle next to her bed and blew the match out. She sat down on her bed with her back resting against the wall. She had tried every night to decipher her cryptic dreams, but to no avail. She kept telling herself it must have been one of the crew members calling to her the day she forgot everything…

But, he seemed too young. He was a boy, she knew that much. Not much older than herself. She mused with the idea that it could have been calling her. He fit the description. She wanted to believe that. It would make everything so much simpler. But, she remembered that voice. It was not Zuko's.

She closed her eyes and tried desperately to conjure an image of the mysterious boy's face. It hung cruelly on the very edge of her consciousness, teasing her, just out of reach.

Sighing in defeat, Katara sat in bed a few more minutes, letting her heart beat slow. She reached over, blew out her candle and settled down for what she now knew would definitely not be a peaceful night.

000

"_That_ was truly pathetic," said Zuko, shaking is head in disappointment at Katara as the made their way down the hallway towards the dining hall.

Zuko ended their training session early because he simply couldn't take it anymore.

"What is wrong with you today Katara?" he asked, "Yesterday you had most of those sequences mastered, but today…" He didn't need to finish.

Their session had gone awfully. Because of her lack of sleep the night before, Katara couldn't focus, had horrendous coordination, and couldn't concentrate on anything Zuko said. She wasn't even listening to him speak then. And the fact that Zuko wanted her ready at the crack of dawn didn't help much either.

"Look," said Katara wearily as they entered the dining hall, "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't sleep well last night."

Katara and Zuko sat down across from each other at the table. Katara put her head in her hands and rubbed her eyes. They had dark circles under them. A man approached them and set two bowls of domburi in front of them. Katara muttered a thanks and picked up her chopsticks. Zuko picked up his chopsticks and started eating also, but without any thanks. He eyed her carefully. "You were having trouble sleeping?"

Katara hesitated. She had thought about telling Zuko about her dreams before, but had always decided against it. She was afraid he might laugh at her and dismiss her dreams. They mean something; Katara was sure of it. There had to be a reason she always dreamed about the same thing. _Maybe Zuko can tell me what they mean…_ she thought.

"I was having… unpleasant dreams." She replied carefully.

Now she had peaked Zuko's interest. "What sort of dreams?"

"Well… I think they might have something to do with the day I lost my memory."

Zuko's heart beat sped up slightly. He hated it when she talked about that. She believed she was from the Fire Nation and he had told that lie so many times, he sometimes found himself believing it.

"What makes you think that?" he asked carefully.

Katara set down her chopsticks and looked Zuko in the eyes. "Zuko, when I fell overboard… Did anyone call to me?"

_She can't be remembering things can she? _ Thought Zuko. "Of course, several men did."

Katara nodded a little. Zuko hoped this answer would suffice, but somehow he knew it wouldn't. "Yes, but anyone in particular?" she asked. There was no turning back now. "A boy perhaps?"

Zuko sighed, but inside he was panicking. "Katara, you're not making any sense. What happened in your dream?"

Katara looked down. "Well, you see, I have the same dream every night. It starts out with a strong wind blowing, lie I'm moving fast. Then I see a boy near me. His face is always clouded though. I can never remember it. Just when I try to see him better, the dream changes…" she stopped.

"Go on." Zuko prompted her.

"It's dark and I can't breathe. I think it's when I was in the water. Then I hear the boy calling me. He says 'Hang on Katara!' It sounds so far away. And just when I think I can't hold on anymore, I wake up." Katara finished. Zuko didn't say anything.

"So?" she asked tentatively, "Do you think it's that day?"

Zuko didn't think it was that day, he_ knew_ it was that day. She was remembering things in her dreams. This was not good. He looked up and realized she was waiting for an answer. "Yes… I think it might be when you lost your memory." He finally said.

Katara started to get excited. "That's great! Zuko, that means I may be starting to remember things!"

"Yeah…great…" he replied weakly.

Then, the excitement somewhat drained from Katara's bright blue eyes. She remembered the whole point of telling Zuko. "But who is it calling my name? He is definitely too young to be a soldier."

_It must be the Avatar or her fool of a brother…_ thought Zuko bitterly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Katara replied confidently.

"Well…" said Zuko trying to think fast, "It might be me."

Katara's expression clouded. "What?"

"Well, I'm the youngest man on board. It must me in your dream. I was talking to you not long before you went overboard…"

_No…_ thought Katara,_ It's not him. It's not his voice. I'm sure of it._ She got the feeling there was something he wasn't telling her.

Zuko saw the conflict on her face and decided to change the subject. "Why didn't you tell me you've been having these dreams all along?" he inquired.

Katara looked down and blushed a bit. "I don't know… I guess I thought you'd think it was stupid or something…" Tentatively, she brought her aqua eyes up to meet his amber ones. She didn't see mockery there.

"Well, I don't. Don't hesitate to tell me anything. This could be important." He replied without much emotion. _Especially if you're starting to remember things…._ He thought.

Katara gave him a slight smile. "Okay."

Zuko finished eating and told Katara he had things to take care of and she should get some rest. He left soon afterwards, leaving Katara to ponder who this mysterious person was…


	9. Chapter 9: Heart To Heart

**PLEASE READ!**

AN: Okay! Hey everyone and welcome to Chapter Nine! I wanted you all to read this because I found some very very very very interesting news about Avatar! A lot of you may have seen this already, but I felt it was my duty to share it with those who hadn't. BE WARNED: MAJOR MAJOR SPOLIERS! But really great spoilers! Find out who the evil female fire bender from "The Storm" was! I'm dying to put it here, but I don't want to ruin it… I will say this though (unrelated to evil-she) it doesn't look like ZukoxKatara is going to happen… cries The link is in my profile, and the Avatar stuff is the first link you'll see when the page opens. The spoilers are under "Click here for the panel report". Even if you don't want to read the spoilers, you should look at the drawings under "Full Gallery"!

P.S. All this info is from the show's producers at the Comic Con which I never get to go to!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. That sucks. Enough said.

**Chapter Nine: Heart To Heart**

Zuko was on edge. Zuko did not like being on edge. In fact, he hated it. Ever since Katara had told him about her dreams, he constantly worried one day she would wake up and realize everything he had told her was a lie. And when he finally decided to go to his uncle for help, well, he didn't get any.

"_What should I do Uncle?" Zuko asked after telling Iroh what happened._

_Iroh shook his head. "You just keep digging yourself in deeper and deeper, don't you Prince Zuko?"_

_Zuko ignored his comment. "What should I do?" he repeated._

_Iroh shrugged. "How should I know? You started this whole mess Zuko. This is your problem."_

Zuko cursed his uncle silently.

To his relief though, Prince Zuko found himself able to relax after a few days. Katara didn't seem to be acting out of the ordinary or remembering anything (consciously anyway). She didn't mention her dreams to Zuko again, but he could only imagine she was still having them. He prayed his answer had satisfied her and she wasn't thinking about her dreams too much anymore.

000

Katara was thinking about her strange dreams more than ever.

She sat in her room, gazing out her window, with her head in her hands. Her bright blue eyes were troubled and confused; they gave away the turmoil inside her. She was most definitely still having her mysterious, elusive dreams, but she purposely didn't bring them up with Zuko had to intention of ever doing so. She couldn't quite put her finger on why, but she didn't like talking about them with Zuko.

_He seemed pretty sure it is him in my dream…_ she thought, _But he answered so quickly. Like he wanted to give me an answer- any answer. Just as long as I would accept it and move on…_

It troubled her. She wanted to believe Prince Zuko. It would make everything so much easier. She wanted that boy to be him. But it wasn't. If she didn't know anything else, she at least knew that her mysterious person was not Zuko. But, then who was it?

000

"Have you forgotten who is in command of this ship?" Zuko demanded from a terrified guard.

"N-No Sir…" the man stammered, "I was just-"

Fire started swirling around Zuko's fists. He took an intimidating step towards the man.

"If I _ever_ hear talk of mutiny on my ship again you'll spend the rest of your life in the brig or worse!" he growled.

_What on Earth is he yelling about now?_ Thought Katara. She could hear Zuko's voice becoming increasingly loud down the hallway. Sighing she got up from her desk and opened her door. The noise appeared to be coming from the deck. She walked down the dimly lit hallway and onto the deck. "Hey, what's all the shouting about? I could hear…" Katara broke off when she spotted Zuko and the soldier. Zuko sent his arm out and cast a stream of fire at the man. He went flying backwards into the wall of the ship, his body making a _thud_ that made Katara's stomach turn.

Zuko stood over him, not bothering to hide his fury. "You seem to have trouble understanding the chain of command. You had better learn some respect!" Prince Zuko started to move. Katara had no idea what he was about to do. Would he leave the man there? Or deal the final blow? The soldier wasn't even fully protected; his mask had gone askew from the impact. Katara did not want to find out what Zuko was going to do.

"_Zuko!_" she shrieked.

Prince Zuko's head whipped around to see Katara standing at the entrance to the hallway, looking furious. "Get away from him!" She ran to the man's side and helped him up. He was obviously hurt; he needed to put some of his weight on Katara. She glared at Zuko. "What is wrong with you?" she demanded, her aqua eyes ablaze with fury.

"Teaching him a lesson!" Zuko hissed through clenched teeth.

She glanced at the man who was now leaning against the wall, rubbing a sore arm. And probably all for some stupid, insignificant thing that got Zuko irked. "Whatever he did, you didn't have to be so violent! That was totally uncalled for!"

Zuko grabbed Katara by the arm and pulled her near him. "I don't need you interfering with how I run my ship!" he hissed. His narrowed amber eyes burned into Katara's but she never flinched.

Katara wrenched her arm out of his grasp and threw him a look of contempt and disgust. She turned away from and walked over to the soldier. "Come on," she told him, "Let's have a look at your bruises." She helped him walk out of the room.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going? Get back here!" Zuko shouted after them. The soldier hesitated, but Katara kept on walking. "Don't listen to him." She told him. Katara threw Zuko one more disgusted look before leaving Zuko alone on the deck (all the other soldiers had fled in terror when they noticed Zuko start to yell that the wounded man).

Zuko let out an exasperated scream and shot two fire balls at nothing in particular. _Why did Katara have to see that?_ He thought remorsefully.

000

"Honestly, I don't what has gotten into him!" Katara said, shaking her head as she iced and bandaged the soldier's swollen ankle. "He is unbelievable sometimes!"

"T-Thank you that Lady Katara… You didn't have to stand up to the Prince like that for me," said the soldier, speaking for the first time. "I mean, I appreciate it very much," he added quickly, not waning to sound ungrateful, "But, you could have gotten hurt…"

Katara gave a dry chuckle. "I don't know if Zuko would hurt me. Or even _if_ he could."

The man remained silent, letting Katara do her work.

"There," she said when his ankle was wrapped up nicely. "Now then, why don't you take off your helmet and let me see what the damage is."

The soldier obliged and removed his helmet, but said, "Really, Lady Katara, you don't have to do all this for me… The ship's physician could take care of me."

"Please, just call me Katara," she said, getting more ice, "And its not trouble at all." When she turned around to face him, she was slightly surprised. He was young. Not as young as she or Zuko was, but younger than most guards. He was fairly handsome too. He had short black hair and light brown eyes. Katara figured he probably looked better without all the bruises and small cuts on his face.

"Did Zuko do all this to you just now?" she gasped, wiping off the cuts with a cool rag. Katara had known he could be violent sometimes, but this was above and beyond anything he had ever done before. Or, at least, anything Katara had ever seen him do before.

"No," he replied sheepishly. Most of them aren't from him. Just the ankle and the bang on my head from when I hit the wall."

"Then how did you get them?" Katara asked, clearly concerned.

"Well, I'm uh, not the most popular guy. Let's leave it at that."

Katara wanted to press further, but she decided to not to. _Does he mean the other soldiers beat him up?_ She thought.

Katara sighed and sat down on her bed when she was satisfied with her work. The cuts had been cleaned, the bump on his head had a packet of ice strapped to it, and his ankle was wrapped. "Once again, thank you so much Lady Katara."

"Please," she replied wearily, "Just Katara is fine." He nodded his head, but something told Katara he was still going to call her "lady".

"So, what is your name?" Katara asked conversationally after a moment. The guard stared at her blankly.

"My name?" he repeated dumbly.

"Yes. Your name." she said, trying to hold back a smile.

"It's Kyo. We don't really use names here," he explained.

"Then what does Zuko call you?"

"Normally he refers to us all as 'soldier', 'you there' or the ever popular 'useless idiot'." Kyo replied.

Katara laughed. "That's awful," she said.

Kyo just shrugged. "We're used to it. Besides, as much of an obnoxious teenager as he can be, he's been through a lot. We all understand." Katara didn't reply to that. She just looked away. "Do you know what happened?" Kyo asked carefully.

Katara hesitated. "Kind of. I mean, I've only overheard scraps from the guards. I know the general story though. How his father gave him the scar and had him banished…"

Kyo nodded grimly. "Do you know why his father gave him the scar?"

"No."

Kyo took a deep breath. "It's not pleasant."

"Please tell me. I've been trying to figure that out forever."

Kyo looked at Katara and gave a small smile. "Okay. But you didn't hear it from me." Katara nodded. "Well, from General Iroh told us, when Prince Zuko was fourteen, he wanted to attend some kind of war council. They let him in, but only because Iroh made them. Iroh warned Zuko not to speak, but with his temper that was an impossibility. Some general had a plan to fight a powerful Earth Kingdom battalion. But, it required the sacrificing of an entire division to new recruits, to mount an attack from the rear. As bad as Zuko can be sometimes, he really does love the Fire Nation. He stood up and said they couldn't sacrifice an entire division like that. Those soldiers loved and defended their country and they couldn't betray them. As noble as this seemed, it wasn't Prince Zuko's place to speak out."

Katara nodded sadly. "I know the rest…"

Kyo put his hand on Katara's shoulder and said, "I'd better be going."

"Yeah. I wouldn't want you getting into any more trouble." She laughed.

Kyo stood and limped his way to the door. "Thank you once again for everything La-, uh, Katara." Katara smiled at him as he opened her door and left.

Katara sighed. _I always knew Zuko got his scar from his father, but I never knew why_ she thought. _I can't believe he got it for standing up for what was right._

As furious as she had been at him only a few minutes before, Katara couldn't help feeling sad for him. There was no excusing his behavior sometimes, but still… What horrible memories….

000

Prince Zuko was standing alone, hunched over the railing of his ship. He was staring absently at the ocean. He was thinking about the Avatar. Why was it taking him so long to come for the girl? Did he want him to come for the girl? Of course he did. Right?

Zuko was also thinking about Katara. What did she think of him now? Did he care what she thought of him? No. Or did he? He had always tried to be somewhat civil around her. He felt like he'd blown it big time now. _Blew what?_ He asked himself.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't even notice the person now standing beside him. "Zuko?"

"Huh?" The sudden voice mad him jump. He lifted his head to see Katara standing next to him. He didn't know what to do. "What do you want?" he asked, sounding harsher than he meant to.

Katara sighed and pushed a lock of her loosely hanging hair behind her ear. "Look, I didn't come here to apologize. But I didn't come here to fight either."

"Then what did you come here for?" he replied, again sounding harsher than he wanted.

"I don't know…"she said absently, "Just to talk. You can't pretend like nothing happened."

"I wasn't." Katara folded her arms and rested then on the railing. "How is he?" Zuko asked suddenly.

Katara was slightly taken aback. "He's okay," she replied, "Though you messed up his ankle pretty bad."

"I'm not going to apologize to your or anyone else. I did what I had to keep order on my ship."

"No you didn't!" yelled Katara. She was getting angry now. "You didn't have to beat him up so badly! If I hadn't come along, who knows what could have happened…"

A few moments of silence passed. "You, know, I wasn't going to hurt him anymore. I just lost my temper."

It seemed that was the closest thing she was going to get to an apology. A strong breeze blew, lifting Katara's hair into the air. She closed her eyes. "Zuko, have you ever…killed anyone?" she asked suddenly.

Zuko looked up at her in surprise. He furrowed his eyebrows. "No. I've never killed another human before in my life." He stated, slightly offended. "Despite what you may think, Katara, I do have standards and principles." He thought back to his Agni kai with Zhao. When he had let Zhao go.

Katara's expression softened. She smiled up at him gently. "I know Zuko. Believe me, I know you do…" Zuko looked down at her in surprise.

"How do you know about that?" he asked, but no unkindly.

Katara shrugged. "They say if you want to know something in a palace, ask the maids. Well, if you want to know something on a ship, ask the soldiers."

Prince Zuko was lightly annoyed that the guards knew about what happened and they had old Katara. He really hadn't wanted Katara to know. The less people who knew, the better. "So, what do you think of me now?" asked Zuko quietly. "Not only am I violent, but I'm also shamed and dishonored. A prince without a throne. Or even a home."

Katara turned his head towards her. "Hey," she said, "I don't know too much about royalty. I don't know how things like this work, really. But, as an outsider looking in, I think you did the right thing Zuko. I know if you could change what happened to you, you would, but… You did a good thing. You did the honorable thing. I know how much you love the Fire Nation." Katara paused a moment and looked him straight in the eyes. "I'll be honest. I don't like how violent you can be sometimes. In fact, I hate it. That much is true. But, I would never think less of you for what happened two years ago. Never."

Zuko didn't know what to say. Nobody had ever said anything like that to him before. His first thought was ignorant she was. How could she possibly think what he did was honorable? What did she know?

But, then it sunk in that she really did think that. She was probably the only person alive that thought that. That made him feel good. Better than he'd felt in a long, long time.

Katara gently put a hand on his shoulder and smiled softly. "I know you don't think so, but I do. Don't worry; you'll regain your honor. In your eyes anyway. I don't really think you've lost any." Katara turned and walked away.

Zuko felt better than he could ever remember feeling after the day he received his scar. But, then a cloud of doubt passed over him. Would Katara still feel that way if she knew the only for his restore his honor was to capture her best friend?


	10. Chapter 10: Battle

A/N: Okay **totallystellar**, this is for you. First of all, I did not steal anyone's fanfiction. In case you don't already know, **Persistence of Memory** is the name of a famous painting by **Salvador Dali**. You've probably seen it; it's the one with all the melted clocks. And, as much as I love Harry Potter, I don't read HP fanfiction. "Neutral" and I apparently just thought Persistence of Memory was a good title. I did **not** take the plot or title from Neutral. We both took the title from Salvador Dali.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or the song "My Immortal" by Evanescence.

**Chapter Ten: Battle**

_Your face, it haunts my once pleasant dreams…_

_Your voice, it chased away all the sanity in me…_

The candle flames pulsed brightly in front of Katara. She sat at a low table in her room, meditating in front of the flames. They were the only light in the room and cast an eerie glow on the girl's face. Her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as she tried to clear her mind.

Although she couldn't fire bend, Zuko had told her it would be a good idea to meditate. Especially after a long day's training. Katara had welcomed the idea, thinking it might help her stop having those awful dreams. In the back of her mind, however, a voice was saying, "Are you sure you want them to stop?"

This constant turmoil inside her was making it increasingly difficult to meditate. When she told Zuko about the trouble she was having, he told her, "You're concentrating too hard on concentrating on nothing." Katara gave him a confused look. Zuko sighed. "Why don't you try focusing all your thoughts on one thing? Like an object or person. Or you might try concentrating on one of the moves you _have yet to master_."

Obviously, Prince Zuko thought she should try his last suggestion. But, Katara had something much more important to meditate on…

_Okay… Zuko said meditating helps us access parts of our mind that we normally couldn't. If I'm dreaming about this boy, then I must know what he looks like, and more importantly, who he is, somewhere. Just concentrate on the boy… _Katara thought.

Breathing rhythmically, Katara conjured up the clouded image of her mysterious shadow. He replayed his voice over and over again in her head.

000

Katara sighed bitterly as she got into bed. "Nothing," she spat, "Absolutely nothing."

Although the meditating did help to calm her, Katara had gotten nothing about her mysterious person.

_Mysterious person…_ thought Katara as she pulled the blanket up around her. _He needs a name… That's what I'll call him… Kaijin… _(Kaijin means "mysterious person").

Katara wan agitated that she hadn't managed to learn anything new. And being agitated pretty much rendered all that calmness she had achieved useless. Katara sighed and closed her eyes, welcoming the break from reality.

000

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Katara asked Zuko cheerfully the next morning. She had slept wonderfully (and dreamlessly) last night. She felt completely refreshed that morning.

"There was a rumor the Avatar was on Jishin Island. We're going to be stopping there," replied Zuko. He knew the Avatar was supposed to come to _him_, but he was getting sick of waiting around. What was taking him so long? When Zuko heard this rumor, he couldn't help but look into it.

Katara nodded. "Tell me again, why we need to capture the Avatar?" she asked.

Zuko sighed and gritted his teeth. "Because the Avatar poses a great threat to the Fire Nation. He wants to kill my father."

Katara didn't reply. She wasn't the Fire lord's biggest fan after she found out what he did to Zuko. But, she still found herself unable to wish him death. If Zuko still wanted his father's love and acceptance so badly, she couldn't say anything against him.

Katara looked out across the horizon. "Is that the island there?" she asked. A bumpy mound could just be seen on the edge of the horizon.

Zuko nodded. "We'll be there shortly. You should get ready."

Katara nodded and walked off.

Zuko was nervous about this. What if the Avatar really was there? Would Katara recognize him? And god only knew what they would say to her. But then again, she had seen the Avatar's wanted poster with no recognition, so maybe nothing would go wrong. Maybe he would finally capture the Avatar, with Katara's help.

Zuko smiled at the thought.

000

The tall door of Prince Zuko's ship lowered down slowly on the shore. The fire benders (and of course, one water bender) emerged from the ship, with Zuko in the lead. There was nobody to be seen. Zuko stopped and looked around. There was a port not too far away and he could see smoke from a village not too far away. But where were the people?

Zuko had brought fifteen soldiers with him, not including Katara and Iroh. He pointed to five of them. "You go with my uncle to the port. Question any civilians you see. If you find anything, report to me immediately. If not, meet back here in two hours."

The guards bowed left, Iroh following sullenly behind. He'd rather be on the ship drinking tea.

Zuko tuned to Katara "Are you ready? Remember, if we find the Avatar, extreme caution must be taken. He is a formidable opponent. He is also an air bender. That means he will use a lot of evasive maneuvers before striking back. There is also a Water Tribe boy with him, but he is a fool and will pose no threat. He is mostly just a nuisance."

Katara nodded seriously and said, "I'm ready."

Zuko nodded, gave her one last look and turned around to begin the walk to the Earth Kingdom village.

000

Katara followed Zuko through the deep woods towards the smoke from the village. Walking at a brisk pace, her black pants swished against her skin and her deep red top blew lightly in the breeze. She was lost in her own thoughts. Was she ready for this? Would the Avatar even be here? It was only a rumor after all…

The woods ended very abruptly. They were in the village. Again, there were no people to be seen.

"They may be hiding him in one of these houses," said Prince Zuko. He walked up to a door and banged on it. There was no answer.

Just as Zuko was about to break the door down, something went whizzing trough the air. He narrowly avoided it by ducking his head. He whipped around, scanning the terrain for the source. Katara was suddenly on edge. She stood perfectly still and silent, listening.

Zuko glanced down to see what had almost hit him. It was a rock.

"We're not alone."

Suddenly, they could see people emerging from the shadows of the forest. Katara turned around. There were more. Zuko swore under his breath when he realized they had been fooled. They were surrounded. Both Katara and Zuko knew these people were earth benders.

One man came to the front of the ambush. He appeared to be their leader. He was in his mid-thirties with short brown hair. He stood tall and proudly, never letting his gaze waver. "The Fire Nation is not welcome here. Leave our island and we will not attack you."

Prince Zuko, decked out in his full armor (except his helmet) moved closer to the man, with an equally defiant glare. _They both look pretty menacing_, thought Katara.

"We have business here. We will not leave," he replied.

The man looked him up and down. "And what business would a teenage fire bender have on our island? Jishin Island has fought of the oppression of the Fire Nation for a hundred years. We will not submit to you now!"

"We have no business with you or your village. Unless…" Zuko took a menacing step towards the man, "you have information about the Avatar."

The earth benders tensed, preparing for battle. Zuko's men tensed also. Katara took a small step forward. _Be careful Zuko…_ she silently warned him.

The earth bender leader took a step towards Zuko. "You must be Zuko, the banished prince of the Fire Nation," he said with a smirk. "The Avatar is long gone. You won't find him."

"Why should I believe you?" Zuko hissed at him.

"Because the Avatar and his friend were here not too long ago. Looking for you in fact." The man peered over Zuko's shoulder and his eyes widened. "That's the girl," he hissed at Zuko, hatred clear in his voice. Katara could no longer hear what they were saying. "That's the girl you kidnapped!"

Zuko snarled at him.

"The Avatar told us all about it," he spat. "You monster. We can't let you leave now. We have to send word to the Avatar and her brother that you're here. I've no idea what you've done to that girl, but it ends now."

Zuko glared at him and raised a flaming fist. "You think you can keep us here?"

"Let's find out."

With the slash of his arm, the man signaled his earth benders. At once, they all raised giant boulders into the air.

"Take out the fire benders, but don't hurt the girl," he instructed, never turning around.

And the battle was on.

The earth benders launched their boulders at the Fire Nation troop. The fire benders were quick on their feet though and dodged them. Zuko was engaged in battle with the leader. Katara concentrated on helping the other soldiers. They didn't seem to be attacking her…

Zuko shot a stream of fire at the earth bender, but he raised a wall of earth to block it. He then lifted it up higher with the intention to crush Zuko. Zuko swept his feet around, causing the earth bender to lose his balance. It appeared Zuko had the upper hand when Katara noticed the man behind him. He lifted up a huge rock and it was just about to slam into Zuko's skull when Katara leapt up and kicked it out of the way with.

The earth bender looked surprised. She had just saved the Fire Prince! Katara took advantage of his momentary surprise and aimed a hard kick at his side and he fell to the ground. Katara turned around and was back-to-back with Zuko. They were surrounded by earth benders. "I guess training's over," she said to him.

The Earth Kingdom village was a barrage of fire blasts and dust. The dirt kicked up by the earth benders made it difficult to see. Despite being outnumbered though, Katara, Zuko and the soldiers were winning the battle. Prince Zuko had done a good job of training Katara.

"Sir," said one of the earth benders to the leader, "We have to fight the girl! She's taking out too many of our soldiers! I thought you said she is his prisoner!" The soldiers had in fact disobeyed their leader's order not to fight Katara from the very beginning. The recognized a threat when they saw one.

"I know. I just don't understand it…" he replied

000

"How many seriously injured?" asked Prince Zuko.

"Three," Katara replied, "They should make it though. Nothing_ too_ life threatening."

Zuko nodded.

The battle was over. Or so they thought.

Katara was putting a tourniquet on a soldier's wound. Katara smiled. "It seems every time I see you're somehow injured, Kyo," she said to him.

Kyo laughed. "Twice now you've treated my wounds. How am I going to repay that debt?"

Katara smiled and shook her head. "Really, it's noth-" Katara broke off. She noticed something glint in the trees. She stood up and squinted to see what it was.

"Lady Katara?" Kyo asked.

_That looks like…_ Katara gasped. An archer. She looked over and realized Zuko was the intended target.

"Zuko! Look out!" Katara cried as she ran over to him to push him out of the way. She was just a bit too slow.

Katara cried out in pain as the arrow pierced stomach.

"Katara!" Zuko gasped from the ground.

Katara fell, pouring crimson on the dirt floor.


	11. Chapter 11: Life On The Line

A/N: Hey everyone. I know what you're probably thinking: What the insert curse word here took her so long! Well, I'm not getting into the details here, but I've been extremely stressed out over the last few months. I've had some very serious family issues going on and with the added stress of school… Well, updating the fanfic wasn't number one on my priority list. But, I really am so so sorry. Just, please, don't ask me why it too so long in your reviews, okay?

Disclaimer: The usual. I don't own Avatar. Would you like fries with that?

**Chapter Eleven: Life On The Line**

"Katara!" the Fire Prince shouted as Katara fell to the ground. He was instantly at her side. Kyo also jumped up to help her. Zuko looked back at the trees with hatred on his face. He saw only a flash of movement as the archer leapt down from the tree. He had missed his target and made them all aware of his presence. It was time to get out of there.

"After him!" Zuko shouted to the unwounded soldiers. They bowed quickly and set off to capture the assassin.

Zuko lifted Katara up and propped her on his knee gently. Kyo made a move to remove the arrow.

"No!" shouted Zuko, "The arrow is stopping most of the bleeding for now. We have nothing here that would bandage the wound adequately. If you remove the arrow, she will bleed to death!"

Kyo tuned a little pale and quickly nodded. Zuko's mind we reeling. What to do? She had been shot in her stomach. That was bad. Stomach wounds were nearly always fatal. Inside him, Zuko could feel a rage building. It was an unadulterated hatred that wouldn't go away until he personally murdered the person who shot Katara.

Katara opened her eyes slightly and groaned. "Katara!" said Zuko urgently, "Are you okay?"

Katara clenched her teeth and smiled grimly. "My first real fight and I got myself shot… But I saved you, right Zuko? You're okay..?" she rasped. The wound was already making it hard for her to breathe.

Zuko's heart was pounding fiercely. She had gotten herself shot to save him… "Katara, what are you talking about? I'm fine! You're the one who's…who's…" he couldn't even finish. He was in a daze. _This can't be happening… Katara can't be shot… She can't die… SHE CANT DIE!_

"Sir," said Kyo urgently, "We need to get her to the ship. NOW." Kyo didn't care if he was ordering Prince Zuko around. Katara's life was on the line.

Zuko was instantly snapped out of his daze. "Right." He scooped Katara into his arms and made his way back to the ship as fast as his legs would will him.

000

"Her shirt's been torn. We need to get the piece out of her wound before it festers!" the ship's physician shouted at the men in the room. The emergency room was a flurry of activity. The doctor had made Prince Zuko leave because he was "interfering". Zuko was forced to wait outside, must to his displeasure. He paced the hallway outside the room nervously. _They will pay… When I find the man who did this to her, he'll be sorry he was ever born…_ Fire swirled around his fists and he felt if he kept his rage inside him a moment longer, we would burst.

Most of his anger stemmed from fear. Fear that Katara would die. The realization hit Zuko like a punch in the gut. He didn't want Katara to die. He would give anything to save her.

_Why?_

_Because we need her to get the Avatar._

_That's not all…_

_Yes it is._

_You'll miss her._

"Sir?" Zuko was torn from his thoughts by the voice of a guard. The prince looked up expectantly. "We found him."

Zuko instantly straightened up and his face turned to a mask of cold stone. "Take me to him," he replied, in the coldest voice he had ever used.

000

Prince Zuko was brought before a man who had his hands bound behind his back and was on his knees. In the gloom of the prison cell, Zuko could barely make out his features. He looked young. Maybe in his mid twenties. He looked up at Zuko with pure hatred and disgust in his eyes.

Zuko regarded him coldly for a moment. His amber eyes bore into the man's and the earth bender was forced to look away. Zuko seized his chin and turned his head to face him. "Do you know what you did?" he hissed at him. "I am going to make you sorry you were ever born…"

"I didn't mean to hit the girl!" he shouted suddenly. He glared fiercely at Zuko. "_You_ were my intended target! It's not my fault she pushed you out of the way! I had no intention of shooting her!"

Disgusted, Zuko thrust him away. Why did he have to be constantly reminded that Katara could die because she saved _him? Why did she do that…?_

"Well, you _did_ shoot her. And you will pay for that." He hissed. Glowing flames began swirling fiercely around his fists. Zuko's face formed a menacing snarl. He could now see the pure fear in the man's face. All of the defiance was instantly stripped away.

"Please…." He choked.

Gazing down at the pleading man, Zuko was struck by the irony of the situation. The terrible irony. There he was, fists flaming, staring down at this boy, who was pleading for mercy. He knew what it felt like to have the roles reversed. _Can you really do it…?_

Zuko shook the voice away. Katara could die because of him! He couldn't let him go! Zuko felt his rage building again. He pulled his fist back, ready to deal the final blow. Then, Katara's words filled his head…

"_Zuko! Get away from him! What is wrong with you?"_

"_Whatever he did, you didn't have to be so violent! That was totally uncalled for!"_

"_You didn't have to beat him up so badly! If I hadn't come along, who knows what could have happened?"_

Suddenly, Zuko stopped and gritted his teeth. _No… _he thought as he tried to force her voice away. _This is different… _

"_Zuko, have you ever… killed anyone?"_

_This isn't the same… He deserves to die for what he did to Katara… _thought Zuko, his mind in turmoil. The man looked up at Zuko in confusion. He was bracing himself for the worst. He didn't understand what the prince was doing. Prince Zuko looked like he wanted to kill the man so badly… yet couldn't bring himself to do it.

"_I'll be honest. I don't like how violent you can be sometimes. In fact, I hate it. But I would never think less of you for what happened two year ago. Never."_

Katara would want him to do this, wouldn't she? If she died, she needed to be avenged. It was the right thing to do. That was obvious. Right?

Zuko gritted his teeth. He knew it was the right thing to do. But… he also knew Katara wouldn't want him to kill the man. It was ludicrious to Zuko. But, somehow he just _knew_ she wouldn't want this. As much as it pained him, he knew. And he hated her for it. She had brought out his conscience. And his newfound conscience wouldn't let him kill this man, no matter how much he wanted to. And all because he knew Katara wouldn't want him to become a murderer on his behalf.

"Argh!" Zuko screamed as he threw his head back in frustration. He glared down at the man, his eye piercing into him like daggers.

In one swift motion, Zuko delivered him an extremely hard kick in the stomach. The man doubled over, clutching himself, the wind knocked out of him. He looked up at the prince, tears forming in his eyes.

This was it. What he had been preparing himself for the last few minutes. This was the end….

But, as he lay there with his eye shut tightly, anticipating the next blow, the man was surprised. There was no other blow. He cautiously opened one eye to see Prince Zuko standing over him, breathing heavily, looking murderous. Like he wanted nothing more than to kill him slowly and painfully…

But he didn't kill him.

"Go," he snarled, "Get out of here. If I _ever_ see you again, I promise I won't hesitate to kill you." When he saw the unbelieving look in the man's eyes, he spat, "I'm not doing this for you! I want nothing more than to see you dead! But..." Zuko took a moment to compose himself, "Katara couldn't live with herself if she thought I killed you because of her."

The soldiers threw incredulous looks at one another. They couldn't believe Zuko was just going to let him like that! And after the man tried to kill him! But, that wasn't even the reason Zuko wanted to kill him so badly... It was because of Katara… The soldiers couldn't understand why he was becoming so crazy. No one there wanted Katara dead. They had all grown to like having her around (and Zuko was usually less violent when she was there), but they couldn't believe the prince was acting this way. Why was he so angry over a water bending peasant…?

The man laid on the ground, gasping for breath. He want sure if this was just a cruel joke or not. Should he run? Zuko narrowed his eyes, "GO. Before I change my mind." That was all the motivation the man needed. He scrambled to his feet and took off running away from them. Once, he glanced back, wondering what exactly had happened to that girl…

000

"_You need to leave. Now. She needs her rest!" someone hissed._

"_I'm not leaving until I know she will be okay. She is one of my finest warriors and I don't need her dead!"_

"_She should be okay, AS LONG AS SHES NOT DISTURBED."_

"Hmmm…?" Katara murmured. She slowly opened her eyes and squinted at the bright light. She felt a burning and throbbing pain in her abdomen. There was a buzzing in her head and she felt extremely weak. _Déjà vu…_ she though wearily. Where were those voices coming from…?

"Prince Zuko…?" she called out weakly.

The doctor and the prince whirled around to face Katara, where she lied of a bed, bandaged and weak in the infirmary. There were thick pillar candles lighting up the room. It wasn't actually very bright, but to Katara it was blinding.

The doctor threw his hands up in anger. "Great! Now she is awake! What don't you understand about her need for rest?" The doctor and Iroh were the only ones who could ever speak to Zuko that way and escape with their lives. But, the prince wasn't even listening to him. He rushed to Katara's side.

"Katara! You're awake! How are you feeling?" he asked

Katara tried to laugh dryly, but it turned into a cough. As she coughed, waves of pain rippled over her abdomen. She groaned and clenched her teeth.

"I've been better..." she managed to reply.

The doctor hurried over and stood between Zuko and Katara. "See? She's going to be okay. Let her get her rest now."

Prince Zuko glared at him and reluctantly, the doctor left the room.

"What is the matter, Prince Zuko? You look like you've seen a ghost." Katara croaked with some difficulty.

The prince clenched his teeth. He had been so caught up in worrying about Katara he hadn't really thought about what everyone would think of his actions. He wouldn't normally be this upset about a wounded soldier. He would want revenge for any of his crewmen, but this was out of character... He supposed he could always use the excuse that she was such a good fighter.

That may take care of the crew, but how was he supposed to tell Katara how crazy he had been?

"I, uh, we were worried you wouldn't make it," said Prince Zuko, trying to sound as professional as possible.

Katara gave a short snort. "I'm not that easy to kill."

"But you almost did die, Katara! You were lucky. Very lucky."

Katara made a face and rolled her eyes. Zuko started to get angry. "What did you do that for anyway? You nearly got yourself killed! What would make you do something so stupid?" he demanded.

Katara gaped at him for his sudden outburst, and then looked hurt. "Yes, I _did_ nearly get myself killed. SAVING YOU. This is how you thank me? By telling me it was stupid? So much for gratitude!" She turned over in a huff and sent jolts of intense pain shooting down her side. She gritted her teeth as tears filled her sapphire blue eyes. She struggled to keep them from falling and letting her pain show to the prince.

Prince Zuko stood over Katara's bed, glaring fiercely at her. Was that really what she thought? That he was ungrateful? He gazed down at her whimpering body, seeing the obvious pain she was in. He clenched his fists and marched around to the other side of the bed, to face Katara.

He was slightly taken aback at the sight of her. She was biting her lip in an obvious effort to hold back the tears that now streaked her flushed cheeks. In the candle light, her tears glistened and Prince Zuko thought how amazing it was that she could manage to look so utterly helpless and still willful and defiant at the same time.

_What's wrong with him?_ Thought Katara, _Why is he staring at me like that? He probably thinks I'm weak now…_ she added with bitterness.

But then, Zuko knelt down and grabbed Katara's wrists and pulled her face close to his. She was so surprised by the sudden movement that she didn't have time to react.

Zuko saw uncertainty and a bit of fear flash across the water bender's face. _Why does this feel so familiar…?_ Wondered Katara.

"Is that really what you think?" Zuko demanded, gazing intently into her uncertain eyes. "That I'm ungrateful?"

Katara was starting to feel weary. It was an effort just to talk…

"Well, that's the way you made it sound..." she whispered.

The fire bender's grasp on her wrists tightened a bit. But, this time when he spoke, he voice was much more sincere…

"Don't ever think that Katara! You saved my life. Of course I'm grateful. More than grateful. You've put me in a debt I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay. I owe you my life. It was just… reckless on your part." His expression changed to an almost pleading one. Katara silently wondered if this was all a dream. "Why did you do it?"

Frowning slightly, the water bender turned away. "You're my prince. Of course I risked my own life to save you. Would anything less be expected of me?" she asked quietly.

Prince Zuko was slightly taken aback. Though he head was turned away from him, he could see her troubled sapphire eyes. He knew that she was speaking the truth. Just from her expression he knew she really thought she was expected to put her life on the line for him…

And she would have been if she was a regular crew member. He could easily see Katara's logic. He was the prince. She was his crew. It was her duty to protect him.

Zuko gently let go of Katara's wrist and stood up. Katara slowly turned to her head to face him. _Why is he looking at me like that?_ She wondered. It was the strangest expression she had ever seen on him. A mixture of regret and anger. But also of gratitude and fear.

Zuko's emotions were almost boiling over. He couldn't take it anymore. And Katara's confused expression only made him madder.

"No, Katara! You're not expected to die for me! You are not a normal crew member! You weren't randomly selected from the rejects of the army to be my crew! When will you see that?" he shouted and stalked out of the room.

Katara lay in slight shock on her bed. What was that all about? She closed her eyes and sighed gently. All this excitement wasn't helping her wounds.

Zuko's words echoed in her head in one more time before she slowly drifted off to sleep…

"_You're not a normal crew member… When will you see that?"_


	12. Chapter 12: Beso Dulce

A/N: Greetings, once again. I really liked writing this chapter. I think it's one of my favorites. Hope you enjoy it! And thank you to Dark Hawk for your emails. Sorry I haven't responded to the last one, my email doesn't work sometimes. I promise to reply as soon as I can!

Disclaimer: Things I don't own: Avatar, Harry Potter, Viggo Mortensen, Canada…

**Chapter Twelve: Beso Dulce**

"_Katara… Are you just going to sit there all day?"_

_What? Who is calling me?_

"_Come on, Katara. There's chores that need to be done…"_

_Are you Kaijin? Who are you? Show me your face!_

"_Hurry up, Katara… We don't have all day…"_

_Wait! Don't go! Who are you?_

"_Katara…"_

Katara's eyes shot open and she bolted upright. Well, she tried to at least. She fell back against the deep red sheets of her bed. It had been a week and a half since she had been shot, but she was still weak. The motion had sent a wave of intense pain down her side.

Gritting her teeth, Katara cursed herself silently. She hated being that way. She couldn't wait until she was fully healed and could be on her feet constantly. She could walk now, but her mobility was limited. It was nothing but an annoyance.

Katara lifted her right hand to her forehead. She was damp with sweat and her heart was pounding. Again. _Humph. So Kaijin has come once again, but I am not closer to uncovering his identity… _she thought. It was the first time she had another one of her dreams in a while. She was missing them…

At first, she wanted them to go away. They only brought up more questions and confusion. It was easier just to ignore them. But then, it got to a point where ignoring them was an impossibility. These vague dreams constantly filled her subconscious as well as conscious mind. They had to mean _something._ If she was always dreaming about this person, then he must be important. Katara was determined to find out who he was and what connection he had to her. The dreams were exciting.

It was morning now and the first rays of the sun were creeping through Katara's window. She decided she was going to get out of bed that day. Katara didn't care what the doctor said. If she was forced to spend another cursed minute in the room, she felt like she would go crazy.

Katara took a deep breath and slowly climbed out of her bed. She sighed as she stood up. Not as bad as she had anticipated. She realized then that she was still dressed in the thin cotton gown from the infirmary. She had been released two days ago.

A light blush crept across the water bender's face. She had been wearing that when Kyo, Iroh and Zuko came to check on her. She had been under the covers the whole time, so they didn't see anything, but still…

With an effort, Katara gently pulled on her red dress and black pants on. There was no chance of her wound opening again, but it still hurt if she moved the wrong way.

After tugging here and there, Katara was finally satisfied. She ran her comb through her hair and decided to let it hang loose. Quietly, she opened the door and peered down the hallway. There was no one there.

Katara crept down the halls, hoping she wouldn't run into anyone. She wanted to get to the open deck. She felt deprived of the sweet fresh air and the calming sea. It was almost a physical ache she had. Just for a few minutes. Then she would go back so she wouldn't get in trouble.

Suddenly, the water bender stopped and shook her head. _What's the mater with me?_ She thought. _Get in trouble? It's not like Zuko is my babysitter… I joined his crew didn't I? That means I'm old enough to know what I can and can't do. I'm well enough to walk around for a bit._

When she reached her destination, Katara leaned against the railing and rested her head in her hand. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the sweet sea air. It was pure bliss to Katara. This was where she needed to be if she was ever going to completely recover. Why didn't anyone see that?

000

"So, tell me again what you said, Prince Zuko," said Iroh, who sat at a low table cheerfully drinking a steaming cup of tea. Zuko paced the room.

"I already told you, Uncle. I said, 'No, Katara! You're not expected to die for me. You're not a normal crew member. When will you see that?'"

Iroh smirked at Zuko. "_What?" _asked Zuko, annoyed.

"Hm...She's not just a 'normal crew member', huh? Elegant words… Trying to tell her… something else?" Iroh asked slyly, still smirking.

Zuko caught on to what his uncle was saying. His face turned a light shade of red as he shouted, "She's _not_ an average crew member! She's not a crew member at all. She's not even from the Fire Nation! She's a water bender, and the Avatar's companion! On a royal Fire Nation ship! You consider _that_ average?"

Iroh sighed deeply. "Zuko… The Avatar would come for this girl whether she were alive or not, yes? If you were to slit her throat right now, he would have no way of knowing. He would still believe she was alive, come for her, and then you would capture him."

Zuko looked at his uncle with a slight expression of horror. The retired general sighed. "Of course, I am not suggesting you do that. Such an action would be horrific. All I am trying to ask is… Why have you treated her so well? I am pleased with your behavior towards her for the most part. But… _why?_ If it had been her brother you captured, would you show him the same courtesy you show her?" He paused and looked straight into the prince's eyes. "Would your heart have been torn at the thought of him dying like it was for Katara? Zuko… you should have seen yourself. The look in your eyes was that of a madman. No one has said anything to you, because they fear your response. But, I _am_ asking."

Prince Zuko looked away from his Uncle's eyes. _Someone has finally caught on…_ he thought. He had known the Avatar would come whether Katara was dead or alive. It was only a matter of time before someone else realized it. And noticed how the thought of her dying, especially for _his_ sake, drove him to the brink of insanity.

Zuko clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists.

"Prince Zuko…" Iroh said seriously, "Tell me the truth now. Do you have feelings for this girl? This water bender?"

The Fire Prince flinched. A water bender… Did it matter if he had feelings for her? "Uncle, I don't see what that has to do with anything," Zuko replied stiffly and impatiently, shaking his head.

Iroh raised an eyebrow and replied, "It has to do with everything, Zuko. You obviously think of this girl as a lot more than bait for the Avatar."

"Why would I have feelings for her? She's a Water Tribe peasant!" he shouted defensively.

"That didn't stop you from nearly killing a man for her sake."

Now Prince Zuko was just angry. Angry because he knew his uncle was right. "It doesn't matter how I feel about her!" he finally shouted. "She could never possibly feel anything for me! To her I'm just an evil fire bender! She could never see that we're not all evil like Zhao! So, it doesn't matter how I feel about her!" Zuko finished and stood panting.

Iroh folded his arms and looked satisfied. "That's good, Zuko. That's good. It helps to tell the truth once in a while." He stood and walked calmly around the room, then turned to look Zuko in the eyes. "You're just forgetting one thing though… She _thinks_ she is from the Fire Nation." He smiled. "And that's all that really matters."

000

The light breeze gently lifted Katara's brunet hair into the air as she gazed out over the water. She was resting her weight against the railing because it hurt too much to try and support herself for that long.

She was thinking to herself how beautiful the deep blue of the ocean water was when something hit her. It was a realization she felt like she had known all along, but just now remembered it. Like it had been buried somewhere in her mind and she had just uncovered it.

_Blue eyes…_ Katara thought dreamily. _He has blue eyes… Just like the sea…._

Kaijin, the mysterious boy from her dreams, had blue eyes. It wasn't much information, but to Katara it was something wonderful. Any tiny bit of information was precious to her…

Kaijin was a connection to her mysterious past… She would do anything make that connection stronger…

_Blue eyes…_ she thought again. _That rules out everyone on this ship. And just about everyone in the Fire Nation. _Was it possible that this person with whom she felt such an intimate connection was not from her homeland?

Katara's thought were interrupted when she suddenly felt another's presence. Her head whipped around to see Zuko standing just behind her. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts she hadn't even noticed him. She suddenly felt awkward. They hadn't really spoken properly in a while.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked. "You should be getting rest."

Katara made a face. "I've gotten more than enough rest. Don't you know sometimes some fresh air and freedom is what a person really needs?"

Zuko couldn't help but smile slightly. "Stubborn as ever, I see."

Katara smiled too. "You bet."

He walked up and stood next to her. "You seemed to be in deep thought. Is something troubling you?"

Katara looked away. She didn't want to talk to Prince Zuko about it. She never liked to. "Oh, nothing really…" she replied dismissively.

Zuko fixed his eyes on her, carefully studying her expressions. She couldn't meet his eyes. "It doesn't seem like nothing."

The wind picked up a bit and Katara's hair flew in front of her face, obscuring Zuko's view of her. "Really… It's nothing important." Katara was starting to get tired now. The railing had helped support her weight and ease the pain of standing for so long, but there was only so much she could handle. She would never admit this to Zuko though.

The Prince caught the tension on her face. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Are your wounds bothering you?"

Katara scowled. _Yes, but I'm never saying that to you…_ "No, I'm fine." She said in a tone that said the topic was not open for discussion. The prince looked doubtfully at her. It was obvious she was lying.

"What did you need?" Katara asked suddenly. "You came looking for me, I presume? Did you need to ask me something?"

"I-" Zuko was cut off as the boat suddenly lurched to the right. It knocked Katara off her balance and she braced herself for the impact against the hard metal floor.

She opened her eyes, however when she realized she hadn't fallen. Prince Zuko had caught her with an arm around her waist and another on her arm. She was awfully close to him, she realized.

A light blush crept up her face. _He can let go now…_ she thought. She finally met his amber eyes. They held an expression Katara had never seen before. Her heart sped up and she relaxed slightly.

Zuko's mind was in turmoil. Should he? What consequences would it have? It certainly wasn't a smart thing to do… But, when had that ever stopped him?

"Zuko…" she began, but never got to finish because Zuko leaned his face toward hers and gently pressed his lips against Katara's.

Katara was shocked and taken aback; her first instinct was to push him away. She had brought her hands up, but then let them down. Having the prince's arm wrapped gently around her waist and having him so close to her was the most wonderful feeling in the world. She let herself get lost the kiss.

Zuko was relieved she wasn't pushing him away and thought briefly what a wonderful coincidence it had been that the boat lurched at the most opportune moment.

The captain looked out the window at the two benders below.

"Excellent job," Iroh said to the captain, smiling and watching his nephew.

000

The wind was strong that day. The two boys struggled to hold the map down as the wind whipped past them.

One pointed to a small island. "That's the island we just came from. Kasuke said there was a Fire Nation ship loitering around this island here, right?" He pointed to another spot towards the west.

The other boy nodded his expressionless face. "He shouldn't be moving around too much. He's waiting for us. For me," he mumbled.

The elder boy snarled. "Finally. We're going to catch that monster. I just hope that he hasn't…"

The younger boy fixed his now intense gray eyes on him. "I don't think he would. But if he has… I'll kill him."


	13. Chapter 13: Enter Kaijin and Gongen

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Too much school work…

Disclaimer: If I owned Avatar, I would be bragging right now.

**Chapter Thirteen: Enter Kaijin and Gongen**

_What have I done?_

Prince Zuko lay on his bed and stared, unblinking, up at the ceiling.

_I kissed that girl. The peasant from the Water Tribe. My bait for the Avatar. I kissed her. What have I begun?_

000

Katara had been so stunned by the prince's kiss that she couldn't speak when they finally pulled away. Her mind was reeling and she wanted to question Zuko, but couldn't seem to find her voice. He just stared down at her with a penetrating look that would have kept Katara silent even if she could talk.

He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity weighing silently his decision. He liked her, so he kissed her. But, what consequences would this have? She believed herself to be a daughter of fire, but she wasn't. On Zuko's ship, the charade was fairly easy to keep going, but what would happen once the Avatar and her brother arrived? Katara subconsciously ignored all the signs that she wasn't who Zuko was telling her she was. She had gone through something traumatic and wanted to have an identity.

She just happened to develop feelings for a certain prince in the course of this.

Finally, Zuko took Katara by the arm and said, "You should go back to your room and get some rest." He led her away, making sure he never make eye contact with Katara. He walked as quickly as he dared, knowing Katara couldn't move too fast. When they arrived at Katara's door, he opened it for her and motioned for her to go inside.

"Get some rest," he managed to say, "You wounds still aren't fully healed. You almost fell."

Katara stood in her doorway and looked at him quizzically. What was he doing? Zuko looked up and met her eyes for a fraction of a second, but then looked away and said, "I'll see you at dinner" and stalked away.

Katara stood dumfounded in her doorway. "What was _that_ all about?"

000

"What happened sir?" asked the lieutenant, "...Sir?"

Iroh sat at his low table as he lifted a tea cup to his mouth with a shaking hand. He seemed to be staring intensely at the table.

"General Iroh?" the lieutenant asked a little louder.

Iroh looked up at him, startled. "Huh? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing Sir… I was just wondering why you're shaking so badly. Is everything okay?"

Iroh looked around the room nervously for a moment. They were in the top portion of the ship with the captain. He was too busy to notice what the general and lieutenant were talking about. Iroh looked as if he was considering whether or not to say something to Ji, but then decided to.

He motioned for Lieutenant Ji to move closer. "I told the captain to make the boat lurch like you suggested. Zuko caught Katara and he kissed her."

Ji's eyebrows shot up and a huge grin appeared on his face. "What a Romeo," he muttered, shaking his head. He noticed Iroh's expression. "Is that all? Why do you look so shaken, sir?"

"I...I..," stuttered Iroh, "I never meant for anything else to happen!"

"Sir?"

"I saw Zuko lead Katara away! And in the direction of her room!" he shouted and put his head in his hands. "I should have known better! Zuko is always so stressed and tense, and with Katara on board, he was bound to-"

"What!" Ji shouted as he took a startled step backward. "Y-You don't mean he's…"

Iroh nodded gravely. "I'm afraid so."

"We have to do something!" declared the lieutenant as he paced the room.

"What are we going to do? Just barge in on them..?" asked Iroh.

"What else can we do? We can't let this go on!"

000

Katara sat in front of her mirror, brushing her long, dark hair and thinking about Zuko. She glanced in the mirror and then put the brush down, sighing. She gingerly brought her fingers to her lips, remembering what had taken place. Before, she had been wondering why Prince Zuko behaved the way he did after he kissed her. But, now she realized he was embarrassed. A small smile crossed Katara's face at the thought of this. He never handled emotional situations very well. Kissing her had been a huge deal for him, she knew. He needed to be left alone.

The sweet kiss they shared had been quite a big deal for her too. She had thought about Zuko as more than a friend a couple of times before. She couldn't deny that, even with his scar, she thought he was handsome. Through her training, they forced an unspoken bond that she held dear to her. But, the fire prince was never one to get emotional. That was why she was so shocked when he kissed her.

_What will this mean for us now…?_ Katara was silently wondering just as her bedroom door burst open.

000

Zuko shot upright as he heard a sharp scream come from Katara's room. He jumped up and ran down the hallways until he found her room.

He stopped short at the scene that was unfolding before him.

Lieutenant Ji was holding Katara's door open and looking purposely down at the floor and shouting, while Iroh stood behind him, closing his eyes.

"All right, you two! Cut it out right now!" shouted the lieutenant. "Just, get dressed and get out!" He was blushing furiously.

Katara was sitting in front of her mirror, looking incredulously at the two men.

"What is going on?" Prince Zuko demanded.

Iroh and Ji's heads whipped around to see a furious Zuko glaring at them.

"Zuko!" Iroh exclaimed.

"B-But… What are you doing here…?" Ji stammered. He looked into Katara's room to see her sitting down and looking at him as if he had grown an extra head.

"Would you mind telling me what you are doing?" she demanded. "Why are you screaming?" She stood up and walked over to her door. "And you too, Iroh. What has gotten into you all?"

The general and lieutenant exchanged worried glances.

"Well?" demanded the prince. "What are you two doing, barging into Katara's room and screaming at her?"

"Oh, Zuko!" Iroh exclaimed. "I saw you lead Katara away after you kissed her and it looked like you were taking her to her bedroom, and I just thought that-"

"Uncle!" Zuko shouted, turning a deep shade of crimson. Except, not from anger, but embarrassment. "No! Of course not! I was simply helping Katara walk back to her room to rest!"

Katara stood silently blushing. _So that's what this was all about. _She thought. It was highly embarrassing, but she couldn't but be amused by the situation.

The men continued to yell back and forth at each other until Katara was fed up.

"Well, you shouldn't have been spying-"

"Alright," said Katara forcefully, "That's enough. Obviously, there was a huge misunderstanding. Nothing happened. Let's just forget about this whole mess, shall we?" Katara turned to each of them. "And don't come into my room without knocking."

000

"Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked as he peeked into Zuko's room.

"What is it?" asked Prince Zuko, clearly annoyed. He was still angry that his uncle had been the one who set the stage for his kiss with Katara.

"We received word from a station in Maruyama saying the Avatar is headed this way. General Kasuke said they should be here within five hours." Iroh paused and looked the prince steadily in the eyes. "What are you going to do?"

Zuko stood. "Finally… It certainly took those fools long enough. What do you mean what am I going to do? I'm going to capture the Avatar."

Iroh sighed. "I meant, what are you going to do with Katara? Still going to try and use her to lure the Avatar to you?"

Zuko looked away and said quietly, "I think it would be best to keep her out of sight completely."

Iroh moved so Zuko was facing him. "And what about after you capture the Avatar? What will become of the girl?"

"I don't know Uncle!" Zuko shouted. "Things have changed! I was going to capture the Avatar and deliver the girl and her brother along with him so there was no chance of them trying to rescue him. But, now…" Zuko's voice trailed off.

The prince swung his arm out, creating an arc of fire. He had been trying to find a solution to this very dilemma ever since he kissed her. Up until now, they had been able to pretend everything was okay. But, now reality was finally crashing down. The reality that Katara was a daughter of water and Zuko was a son of fire.

"This is your decision, Prince Zuko. You started this mess. Now, you have to deal with the consequences. Only now it's worse because your bait is the woman you love."

000

"Take Appa down easy, Aang. We don't want them to see us."

Cloaked by the inky darkness of night, the Avatar brought Appa down so he hovered about ten feet from Prince Zuko's ship. "We'll be back soon, boy. Make sure you listen for the whistle, okay?" Aang whispered as quietly as he could to Appa.

With the aid of Aang's air bending, the two boys made it safely aboard the Fire Nation ship. _Now we just need to wait for a couple of guards to come along…_ thought Aang.

Then, they heard footsteps. "Get behind those crates over there," Aang told Sokka. Sokka did as he was told and watched Aang from behind the crates as he swiftly knocked out the two guards. Sokka would have liked to get in on the action, but he knew how much was riding on their plan.

Silently, Sokka and Aang removed the guard's armor and Sokka bound their hands and feet and put gags in their mouths. Now fully clothed in Fire Nation uniforms, they set out to find Katara.

000

_Is that Katara's voice?_ Aang wondered. He heard a faint whispering coming from inside on of the rooms. He looked around for Sokka, but he had gone off in another direction to cover more ground. The door was slightly ajar, but Aang did not want to be seen peeking in, even if he was dressed in a Fire Nation uniform, that was far too big for him. He didn't want to draw attention to himself.

Quietly, the young air bender leaned close to the door to try and eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Don't worry about earlier... I found it kind of funny, actually," said Katara from inside the room.

_What's she talking about? _ Thought Aang.

He heard a masculine sigh. "I think they should just mind their own business," the voice replied haughtily.

_Is that Zuko's voice!_

"That's true... But you uncle didn't make you. You did it on your own." There was a pause.

_What is going on?_ Aang wondered angrily.

"Hm. Yes. Yes, I did." And then silence. It was deafening silence to the Avatar. He felt as if the entire world hung in the balance. Then, he heard small noises coming from inside. Instantly, his heart jumped at the thought of Zuko hurting Katara. Silently, he risked a glance into the room.

He couldn't see properly in the over-sized Fire Nation helmet, so he adjusted it so he could see.

Then he let out a tiny gasp.

What the young Avatar saw was Zuko with his arms around the beautiful water bender kissing her very thoroughly. His brain refused to process what he was seeing, which was his friend and the woman he loved, kissing the fire prince back. It wasn't possible. It simply wasn't possible. The only logical explanation was exactly what Aang had feared most. Zuko was taking advantage of Katara.

He turned away quickly, his heart racing. What to do? Should he act now and risk exposing his and Sokka's identity? Or wait and let him have his way with Katara? To Aang, the choice was clear.

In a swift motion, the young Avatar sent the door crashing open, startling the two teen benders.

A fiery fury burned in Aang's intense gray eyes. "Get away from her," he snarled.


End file.
